The LatinNews Podcast is a fortnightly deep dive into key developments from across Latin America and the Caribbean.
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Season 1 | Episode 43
Despite mineral production never having dominated the economies of Central American countries, change appears to be on the horizon. On The LatinNews Podcast this week, we talk to Paul Harris, Americas editor for Mining Journal, Senior editor for Kitco and organizer of the Colombia Gold Symposium to hear his thoughts on upcoming decisions in El Salvador, Costa Rica and Panama.
Firstly, President Bukele's proposal to walk back his country's 2017 total ban on metal mining in El Salvador and encourage multinational firms to exploit gold deposits, meanwhile, Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves submitted a bill to the unicameral National Assembly to reverse the ban on open-pit mining in that country.
And, despite massive social protests in Panama in 2023, due to allegations of serious environmental contamination surrounding a copper mine there, President Mulino looks set to revisit the question of this closure.
We ask Paul Harris about the possible outcomes of each circumstance, whether this may shake up attitudes to mining in Mexico and also extend our conversation to include the probabilities of a new mining code being released in Colombia in 2025.
Listen and subscribe to The LatinNews Podcast on Apple, Spotify and other platforms
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In this episode we discuss:
• El Salvador's Mining Revival Under Bukele
• Costa Rica Weighs Mining vs. Ecotourism
• Central America Faces Mining Policy Shifts
• Environmental and Economic Risks of Mining
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Paul Harris
Paul has more than 20 years of experience in the mining sector in investor relations, communications, research, and news reporting roles, and over 16 years of experience in the Colombia gold sector. Paul founded the successful CGS Copper and Gold Symposium in Colombia. He has written for the industry-leading publication ‘Mining Journal’ since 2015 and has been a Kitco Mining anchor since 2022. Previously, Paul spent five years in Chile reporting on the copper sector for CRU and Metal Bulletin. Paul received a BA in Business Administration from the University of the West of England, UK; and a MA in International Relations from the University of Chile, Santiago Chile. He is fluent in English and Spanish.
The LatinNews Podcast is hosted by Richard McColl, a foreign correspondent in Colombia. Having first travelled to Colombia in the late 90s, McColl made the move to Bogotá in 2007. He holds a Diploma in Conflict resolution and a PhD in Social and Human Sciences both at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá. He has worked as a journalist across Latin America.
Political Analyst, Richard McColl