Cotuí and Barrick Pueblo Viejo communities sign resettlement agreement

Santo Domingo. – Representatives of the communities of Cotuí and the mining company Barrick Pueblo Viejo signed a definitive agreement on the resettlement process linked to the expansion of the mine in the province of Sánchez Ramírez.

The consensus was possible thanks to the mediation of the Dominican Government, represented by the Minister of Energy and Mines, Joel Santos; the Catholic Church, through the bishop of La Vega, Monsignor Tomás Morel Diplán; and the Ombudsman, Pablo Ulloa.

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The agreement contemplates an investment exceeding RD$20 billion and includes the construction of decent housing, basic services such as potable water, electricity, educational centers, sports facilities, and access roads. It also establishes a comprehensive program of psychosocial support, financial education, income generation, illiteracy reduction, and strengthening of coexistence in the new communities. In addition, new compensation was agreed for crops and land, and the construction of community infrastructure such as a police detachment, a market, a municipal cemetery and a primary care unit. The Cotuí-Nuevos Horizontes road section will also be improved.

“The agreement marks a new chapter for responsible and inclusive mining,” said Minister Joel Santos, who thanked the mediators for their key role in the process. Meanwhile, the Ombudsman, Pablo Ulloa, stressed that it is an “evolving” process, with permanent support from his office and the Church.

Juana Barceló, president of Barrick Pueblo Viejo, highlighted that the program was designed in a participatory manner and aligned with IFC international standards. For his part, Martín Guzmán, representative of the communities, positively valued the agreement reached. Present at the signing were the President of the Senate, Ricardo de los Santos; the mayor of Bonao, Eberto Antonio Núñez; and Rolando Muñoz, general director of Mining. This agreement lays the groundwork for the continuity of the mining expansion project, under a development model with a human focus and community participation.