🇸🇻In 2017, El Salvador made global headlines by becoming the first country in the world to completely ban metal mining. The decision, implemented under then-President Salvador Sanchez Ceren, was driven by serious concerns about the environmental and health risks associated with mining operations, particularly the use of harmful chemicals like cyanide and mercury.

The ban was widely supported by rural communities and environmentalists who had witnessed the devastating environmental and health impacts of mining activities. This progressive move inspired similar actions in neighboring countries, with Costa Rica, Honduras, and Panama implementing various restrictions on mining operations.

Now, President Nayib Bukele is challenging this long-standing prohibition, asserting that El Salvador is overlooking an enormous economic opportunity. In a series of provocative statements on social media platform X, Bukele claims the country potentially has "the largest gold deposits per square kilometer in the world."

According to preliminary studies cited by the president, El Salvador's gold reserves could be worth an astounding three trillion dollars - representing over 8,800% of the country's current GDP. Bukele argues that mining just 4% of the country's gold deposits could generate $131 billion, which would be equivalent to 380% of the current GDP.

ℹ️ Jerusalem Post, X

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