Govt suspends Aranaputa mining licence in North Rupununi

In a swift response to public outcry, the Natural Resources Ministry has suspended a controversial mining licence granted to Sol Nascente Inc for operations in Aranaputa, North Rupununi.
The decision follows strong objections from Regional Chairman Bryan Allicock, local communities, and environmental advocates who decried the lack of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) or Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA).
On Tuesday, Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat traveled to the region and met with concerned residents and officials before announcing the suspension.
Guyana Times understands that Allicock welcomed the decision but insisted that the suspension should be made permanent.

Objection
The signing of the mining deal between Sol Nascente and the Aranaputa Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) was witnessed by Amerindian Affairs Minister, Pauline Sukhai and a legal officer from her Ministry. However, details on the nature of mining operations remained scarce, raising further concerns among locals and environmental groups. Even media was not informed about the type of mining that Sol Nascente Incorporated will do.

Allicock, who refused to attend the signing ceremony earlier this month, accused the authorities of failing to consult affected residents. “No EIA or ESIA was done, and there was no consultation with the communities that will be affected. The residents are now finding out what was done after the fact. When they said they did extensive consultation, that was a lie,” Allicock told is quoted in another section of the media as saying.
Meanwhile, the non-profit organisation Visit Rupununi also criticised the agreement, arguing that large-scale mining is unsuitable for the region.
In a statement, the Visit Rupununi was quoted saying it “holds a firm and unwavering position that mining of this nature has no place anywhere in the Rupununi Regardless of the outcome of any environmental or social assessments, we believe that mining near communities or inhabited areas will inevitably result in the destruction of lives, ecosystems and the region’s long-term prosperity.”