Article Summary

This article claims that out-of-control illegal gold mining is devastating Costa Rica's northern border, facilitated by Chinese companies in Nicaragua buying the illicit gold. It suggests that allowing new foreign concessions for gold mining might be the only practical solution to this problem, despite the environmental and historical concerns that led to the failure of a prior Canadian concession. The author wants readers to feel that urgent action is needed and should support the government's proposal to make an exception to the mining moratorium.