Cancellation of ill-gotten Central America Nickel licenses in Guatemala
Rights Action is heartened by the cancellation of CAN’s very questionable licenses in the Q’eqchi’ lands of the Sierra Santa Cruz, Livingston, Guatemala. This short, successful, land-rights-environmental defense struggle (that we helped support) is successful … for now. Stay tuned. The global mining industry seemingly never gives up.
Community struggle achieves cancellation of mining licenses in Livingston, Izabal
Prensa Comunitaria, July 30, 2025, by Simón Antonio Ramón
https://prensacomunitaria.org/2025/07/comunidades-logran-la-cancelacion-de-licencias-mineras-en-livingston-izabal/
The environmental licenses were managed by the companies Río Niquel and Productores del Atlántico, [subsidiaries of Montreal-based Central America Nickel]. Since January, 54 communities in Livingston, Izabal have been demanding that the government cancel the projects.
"A drop of water is worth more than a bag of gold. No to mining". Foto Juan Bautista
The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN) informed representatives of the Mayan Q'eqchi', Garifuna and Mestizo communities of Livingston and El Estor, Izabal, that ten environmental licenses in the Sierra Santa Cruz, granted during the government of Alejandro Giammattei, were cancelled.
The meeting, behind closed doors at the Palace of Culture, was chaired by Rodrigo Rodas, Vice Minister of the Environment, who on June 18 promised the indigenous authorities to deliver a response on the cancellation of ten metallic mining licenses in the Sierra Santa Cruz area.
On June 18, the population protested in front of the Livingston sub-mayor's office, because two days before, in a meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, it was not specified whether the exploration licenses of Río Nickel S.A. would be cancelled. At the end of the day, riot police repressed representatives of the 54 communities of the municipality who had closed a road.
At that meeting, the authorities promised to report on the administrative process of the licenses by July 30.
According to the information provided to the communities by the authorities, the ten licenses were requested by the companies Río Níquel, with six projects, and Producciones del Atlántico, with four. These projects would operate in the Sierra Santa Cruz, a special protection area located in northeastern Guatemala and north of Lake Izabal.
The cancelled permits are requirements for companies to obtain their exploration and exploitation licenses from the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM).
These mining projects would contaminate the water sources that come from the Sierra Santa Cruz area and supply 54 communities between Livingston and El Estor.
“The vice minister who was with us said that the ten licenses that were granted, in 2023, by the last government were cancelled today,” Enrique Che, community authority of Río Pita, Livingston municipality, told Prensa Comunitaria. Che valued the resistance actions of the communities, which he considers to be a legacy for future generations. “We value our struggles, when we found out what the Canadian mining company was doing …,” said the indigenous authority.
MARN will provide more information in a press conference
This afternoon, MARN was asked for an opinion on what was reported to the communities, but responded that on Thursday, July 31, information will be given in a press conference at the Palace of Culture. […]
Irregularities
On June 20 Patricia Orantes, the Minister of Environment, said in a press conference that irregularities were detected in the issuance of environmental licenses because the opinion of the Authority for the Sustainable Management of Lake Izabal (AMASURLI) was not requested.
In the same press conference, the official said that the Santa Anita and Santa Anita 2 projects had made excavations. In the inspection that took place in the first and second week of June, six excavations were illegally carried out, for which they filed complaints with the Public Prosecutor's Office (MP).
Simón Antonio Ramón
Journalist Maya Q'anjob'al
Recent background
“Every day we find more legal and technical irregularities”. Government ministry files new criminal complaints against Central America Nickel in Guatemala
Rights Action, July 28, 2025, https://mailchi.mp/rightsaction/marn-to-file-new-criminal-complaints-against-central-america-nickel
Legal investigation into mining licenses of Montreal-based Central America Nickel
Rights Action, June 26, 2025, https://mailchi.mp/rightsaction/investigation-into-legitimacy-of-mining-licenses-of-central-america-nickel
Rights Action commentary
U.S. and Canadian support for previous corrupt government of President Giammattei
The Q’eqchi’ people of this region and Rio Dulce community members find it incredible that yet another mining company arrived in the Q’eqchi region – this time Central America Nickel – claiming to have mining licenses. There is a long, often times violent and corrupt history of this in Guatemala. They are aware that these alleged licenses were granted during the government of president Alejandro Giammattei who is directly implicated in corruption schemes with mining companies in this region and allegedly received financial benefits from drug traffickers.
Hypocrisy in U.S. and Canada
President Giammattei is now barred from entering the U.S. and Canada due to this alleged corruption. The hypocrisy is that the U.S. and Canada imposed sanctions on Giammattei after he left office in January 2024. During his entire time in office, the U.S. and Canada referred to the Guatemalan government as a “democratic ally”, maintaining and pushing for expanded North American investments and business interests in the country.
60-year nightmare of mining in Q’eqchi’ territories
1964-2004: INCO (Canadian owner) and EXMIBAL (subsidiary in Guatemala)
2004-2008: Skye Resources (Canadian, incorporated by former INCO directors) and CGN (new name of EXMIBAL)
2008-2011: Hudbay Minerals (Canadian), bought Fenix mine and CGN mine from Skye
2011-Present: Solway Investment Group (Swiss) and CGN/ PRONICO (a second subsidiary)
2024-Present: Fenix Nickel Company (USA), new subsidiary of Solway Investment Group, and CGN/ PRONICO
2024-Present: Central America Nickel (Canada), and Rio Niquel and NICHROMET (subsidiaries)
Occurring in waves over this entire time, mining in the Q’eqchi’ territories of eastern Guatemala has been characterized by corruption, forced evictions and land theft, human rights violations including killings, rapes, lawfare (criminalizing community defenders), environmental and health harms and, for the most part, complete impunity in Guatemala and in the home countries of the companies (mainly Canada, also Switzerland and most recently the U.S.).
More information: 60 year Fenix mine archive
The recently resolved landmark Hudbay Minerals lawsuits are an important exception to Canada’s almost iron clad wall of impunity and immunity from liability.
TESTIMONIO–Canadian Mining in the Aftermath of Genocides in Guatemala
Edited by Catherine Nolin & Grahame Russell (Between The Lines, 2021)
https://www.testimoniothebook.org
Call by Q’eqchi’ people
Rights Action supports this 2024 call of Q’eqchi’ people for:
Suspension: Immediate suspension of all mining operations in Q'eqchi' region of El Estor, Panzos, Livingston.
Investigatory commission: Formation of a commission to investigate violences and harms of mining against Q’eqchi’ people and the environment between 2004-2025.
Reparations: Preparation of a compensation plan for people and communities that suffered the violences and harms.
Consultation process: Then, implementation of a consultation process, based on prior and complete information in the Q'eqchi' language to decide if mining operations might continue in the future.
Rights Action calls on organizations and people - particularly in Canada, Switzerland and the U.S., home to the mining companies – to initiate, or continue with your education and activism work to pressure our governments, and our mining companies to stop all mining, and to comply with these demands of the Q’eqchi’ people.
Canadian Embassy in Guatemala
Ambassador Olivier Jacques
13 Calle 8-44 Zone 10, Edificio Edyma Plaza, Guatemala
gtmla@international.gc.ca / http://www.guatemala.gc.ca
+(502) 2363-4348
https://www.facebook.com/CanadainGuatemala
https://twitter.com/CanEmbGuatemala
Central America Nickel Inc.
1010 Sherbrooke W., Suite 2200
Montreal QC, H3A 2R7
Mark Billings, CEO, mb@centralamericanickel.com, info@centralamericanickel.com
Dan Hrushewsky, Chairman of the Board
https://www.centralamericanickeluaex.com