El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele, has once again criticized the irresponsible mining practices of the past and called for the responsible exploitation of the country’s natural resources. During a recent statement, he emphasized the importance of following the examples of industrialized nations in transforming the economy while safeguarding the environment.

“We need to make responsible exploitation of our natural resources, just as all countries in the world do,” Bukele said, condemning the harmful mining activities of previous administrations. He highlighted the use of mercury in mining operations, which was dumped into rivers, causing devastating environmental damage. “The mining extraction carried out decades ago was harmful because the governments were corrupt. Our government has proven to be different,” he added.

Bukele also underscored the progress made by El Salvador, noting that modern technology now allows mining activities to be conducted with minimal environmental impact. “Today, in the year 2024, things can be done well. We have to decide where and how we want to live — do we want to live in poverty, or do we want to live like first-world countries?” he said.

The president also addressed the paradox of El Salvador’s mining ban, which has prevented the country from tapping into valuable resources like gold, lithium, cobalt, and nickel. “We are the only ones who ban mining and we do not have clean rivers. We need resources to invest in our nature and in our development,” he stated.

Drawing a comparison with countries like Italy, Bukele pointed to responsible mining practices as a model. “Italy is one of the most industrialized countries and has clean rivers and nature to envy. We must replicate that,” he concluded, emphasizing that responsible mining is not synonymous with pollution but with investing in environmental protection.

https://twitter.com/PresidenciaSV/status/1863384532767928500