Santo Domingo (AFP) – The president of the Dominican Republic announced this Monday the suspension of a mining project by the Canadian company GoldQuest after hundreds of citizens protested the day before against the initiative due to its environmental impact.
First modification: 05/05/2026 - 14:11
Gold is the main export item of this Caribbean island known mainly for tourism. Mining represents around 2% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The Romero project revolves around a gold, silver and copper deposit with reserves equivalent to 1.1 million ounces valued at about $5 billion at current prices, according to the Canadian company.
"It is a victory of the people, the people spoke and it is good that the President of the Republic listened to the popular clamor that San Juan wants to continue being a food-producing valley, not a mining district," said Rubén Moreta, a social leader who organized the protests against the initiative, in a video published by Dominican journalist Laura Merán.
Hundreds of people marched on Sunday against the project due to concerns that the activity would damage the soil and water on which some 130,000 inhabitants of the agricultural province of San Juan (south), close to the exploitation area, depend.
"When citizens express concerns and concerns, our duty is to act with prudence and transparency, which is why I have ordered the immediate halt of any activity related to the Romero Mining Project," said President Luis Abinader in a brief message to the nation broadcast on his WhatsApp channel.
"My commitment is to the country, to its people and to its future," he stated.
The previous protest in various points from San Juan to the town of Sabaneta was dispersed with tear gas and ended with four uniformed officers injured as a result of clashes with protesters. About 20 people were arrested.
In Sabaneta is the main dam of the province: it supplies irrigation to more than 30,000 hectares of crops and produces hydroelectric energy. It is the water that the population of San Juan feared would be affected by the project.
© 2026 AFP
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