What is mined in haiti

The mass poverty in the country could be at the very least reduced by gold mining. Yet, poor governance and corruption has led to a lack of foreign investment and the fear that any potential investment in the sector will not be felt by the wider population that desperately needs it. In the s the United Nations Development Programme confirmed the existence of gold in Haiti in abundance. Yet, this revelation did not lead to foreign direct investment. One of these stakeholders was the American firm Newmont Ventures Limited.

They have twice abandoned Haiti due to political unrest and while they have returned to explore the northern region of the country, there is still no real commitment to gold mining. The present situation is somewhat similar.

Foreign firms feel that the government is not providing enough leeway to start mining. Companies like Newmont were reluctant to take interest further as political violence, crony capitalism and a lack of transparency would counter any progress made. However, the Canadian company Majescor demonstrated that if one can get around the political situation, the potential results will be worth it.

The company purchased the rights to explore square km in Haiti and its stock doubled in the single day after it reported high levels of gold in its drill samples. The other present issue at hand is the lack of benefits that gold mining will have on the many Haitians that live in poverty.

Near that mining district, Canyon Resources Corp. The two companies found one area of particularly high-grade ore that could be mined underground, but they now have it for sale after deciding it was too small for their objectives. Their exploration efforts are continuing in other, larger deposits. The formations that hold Pueblo Viejo and other gold deposits in the Dominican Republic cross the border in Haiti. We and many other Canadian and U.

Krason's studies estimate that one of the known gold deposits contains about 3 million tons of ore with gold in grades similar to or higher than those at large open pit mines in Nevada. The geology of the northern peninsula of Haiti and the Dominican Republic is volcanic and similar to that of many other Caribbean islands where gold and other minerals have been discovered, such as St. Thomas and Cuba. Several companies have been down there for years," said Doug Silver, a mining industry consultant with Balfour-Howell in Denver.

Raoul Cedras from power. But Haiti's been so mismanaged for years that probably everyone has shied away from getting involved in it," said Dan Buck, an aide to Rep. Pat Schroeder, D-Colo. Subscribe Now. Register with JOC. After thirty days, you will receive 3 pieces of content and after sixty days you will receive 1 piece of content. To receive full access, Subscribe Today.

You can also subscribe to our daily newsletter. Skip to main content. Maritime News. Forgot your password? Remember me. The project remains on hold, and the successful resistance serves as a model for the rural Haitian communities that demand clean water and land to grow their food. Mining companies have not yet built a mine in Haiti. Companies wait for Parliament—currently dissolved due to the failure to hold scheduled elections, and rarely functioning in recent years due to extreme political turmoil—to pass a new mining law.

The law, drafted in with technical support from the World Bank , was presented to Parliament in the summer of Haitian resistance, however, remains strong. In a country where less than half of rural residents have access to clean water ; where the environment is already severely degraded , and access to farmland is scarce ; where government corruption is a well-documented threat to the public interest ; and where a spirit of resistance and self-determination reigns, the call for development a la Ayisyen —determined by and for Haitian people—that rejects the extractive model, is loud.

The signatories of the recent declaration ask that Newmont listens. A brief analysis is available here. A protest in Northwest Haiti, where Newmont has conducted exploration activities. Credit: Ellie Happel.