The Gold Vein Chinese Found in the Nicaragua Ortega and Murillo Handed Over
A report by Fundación del Río reveals that 15 Chinese companies control 8.5% of Nicaraguan territory through mining concessions granted by the Ortega-Murillo regime after modifying five laws to their benefit. Chinese interest extends beyond gold to strategic minerals like copper, cobalt, uranium, and tungsten. The companies operate without websites or clear financial records. International trade databases indicate an under-invoicing of $32.1 million in exports to China. At least 29 concessions are located on indigenous territories without prior consultation, and the expansion is already generating a binational conflict with Costa Rica.
TL;DR
- Fifteen Chinese mining companies hold concessions covering 8.5% of Nicaragua's territory, with a law firm facilitating these deals.
- The Nicaraguan regime modified five laws between 2022 and 2025 to favor Chinese mining interests, including removing municipal environmental review and public consultation requirements.
- Chinese companies are allegedly involved in illegal mineral purchases from local miners, operating with opaque corporate structures and potentially under-invoicing exports.
- At least 29 mining concessions overlap with Indigenous and Afro-descendant territories, granted without the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent required by law.
- Mining activities have extended into protected areas like the Indio Maíz Biological Reserve and Río San Juan Wildlife Refuge, violating international environmental conventions.
- The expansion has created a binational conflict with Costa Rica due to illegal cross-border gold mining.
- The US is considering sanctions, and there are legislative efforts to penalize Nicaraguan gold in international markets.
- Concerns exist about the lack of transparency regarding the ownership and capital sources of these Chinese mining firms.