The Minister of Environment, Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, confirmed that the illegal extraction of gold by “coligalleros” in Crucitas, San Carlos, amounts to $90 million.
Initially, the chief indicated that it was $1.5 million, however, that figure was incorrect.
I told the legislators that, preliminarily, we estimated the amount extracted was $1 million to $10 million. Maybe it was wrong to say that so soon, but when I gather all the information, it amounts to $90 million, not what’s in the report from 2017,”
said Rodríguez on a press conference after the audience in the Environment Commission in the Legislative Assembly.
Rodríguez said that the difference is due to the material extracted.
If you know that the extraction is one gram per metric ton, the important thing is to know how big is the area; some say it is 25 hectares, another 50, then the amount of gold changes,”
added the Minister.
He also indicated that the Ministry issued a report at the end of 2017, but he did not agree with the data, so he began to examine it with external experts to have better figures.
The issue of Crucitas has damaged the relationship between the Minister and the National Liberation Party (PLN) faction, who even offered apologies for statements given to the media on Wednesday, mentioning that the issue has been handled irresponsibly and has there was information manipulation.
Carlos Ricardo Benavides, head of the faction, said Rodríguez seemed to have hatred for the verdiblanco party, as well as the environmental policy of the liberationist governments.
The Executive Committee and the Political Directorate of the PLN rejected the statements of the Minister in this regard, and even categorized their statements as disrespectful.
Asked if these differences could cost him his job, Rodríguez says the issues are not personal and it is not necessary to magnify his statements.