The new government of Costa Rica will ban open-pit mining, announced the recently appointed Environment Minister, Carlos Manuel Rodríguez. “In simple terms this means that we are not going to promote or develop new mining projects,” added Rodríguez, a member of the Cabinet named by President Abel Pacheco, who took office May 8.

During the previous administration, mining permits were granted to Canadian corporations. The non-governmental environmental organization Oil Watch of Costa Rica applauded the decision of the new government and announced that it expects to see the Canadian concessions annulled.