LatinNews Daily - 27 April 2026

*Nicaragua’s authoritarian government led by co-presidents Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo has authorised a new mining concession to Nicaragua Xiajing Minería Group, a company owned by a Chinese national, Qixiong Tong, for two lots, one spanning 12,203.65 hectares (ha) in Prinzapolka municipality in the North Atlantic autonomous region (Raan), and the other, for 2,092.35ha, in Puerto Cabezas municipality, also in the Raan. This comes two days after the government authorised four lots to another company, Minesight Minería, whose owner is also a Chinese national, Mingshan Ding. Two were also in the Raan – one was for 41,769.56ha in Waslala municipality, while the other was for 512.37ha in Mulukukú municipality. The other two are located in Matagalpa department – one for 483.30ha in Rancho Grande municipality and one for 344.32ha in Río Blanco municipality. Meanwhile on 21 April the government authorised a 49,981ha lot to China’s Zhongwei Mining Group in Paiwas municipality in the South Atlantic autonomous region (Raas). The latest concessions come despite the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac) imposing sanctions on seven Nicaraguan individuals and seven companies on 16 April as part of efforts to target Nicaragua’s gold sector. The mining firms sanctioned were: Exportadora de Metales Sociedad Anónima (Emsa); Grupo Minero Xiloa; Thomas Metal; Nicaragua Xinxin Linze Minería Group; Brother Metal; Santa Rita Mining Company; and Zhong Fu Development.

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