Huge Open-Pit Mining Concessions Granted in Nicaragua
A total of 121,000 hectares to a company “close” to the regime
Global Group is an unknown player in the mining business and doesn’t even “appear in Nicaragua’s gold export records,” environmentalist warns.
HAVANA TIMES – In just seven days, Nicaragua’s Ministry of Energy and Mines has granted eight mining concessions—totaling approximately 121,877 hectares—to the company Global Group S.A., which, according to environmentalist Amaru Ruiz, is led by Nicaraguans close to the Ortega-Murillo family.
The open-pit mining concessions are spread across 15 municipalities in northern and central Nicaragua for the exploitation of both metallic and non-metallic minerals, according to eight ministerial agreements published in the Official Gazette La Gaceta between July 17 and 23, 2025.
The first three lots were officially granted on July 17. Five days later, on July 22, four more were awarded, and on July 23, one additional lot was handed over.
These eight lots are located in the municipalities of El Jícaro, Ciudad Antigua, Telpaneca, San Juan del Río Coco, San Fernando, Mozonte, Ocotal, Totogalpa, Palacagüina, Villa Sandino, Acoyapa, El Coral, Matiguás, Muy Muy, and Boaco.
General Proxy Is a Rock Concert “Organizer”
Global Group S.A., officially registered in 2021, is represented by Mario Jose Reyes Morales, while the general proxy for administration is Deybi Josue García Gutierrez, according to the Ministry of Energy and Mines’s ministerial agreements. Both are Nicaraguan nationals.
Amaru Ruiz, president of the Fundacion del Río, stated he has information that “suggests” Global Group S.A. is linked to the family of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo and is run by “front men.”
He specified that the company’s general proxy, Deybi Josue Garcia, is publicly known as an “organizer of rock festivals tied to the regime.” Until a few years ago, these concerts were mainly held in bars in Managua’s Hippos Zone.
Another operator of the firm is Nicaraguan Carlos Arturo Gallese Ruiz, who has been identified as a “paramilitary” figure and is reportedly close to one of Ortega and Murillo’s sons, according to a report by Artículo66.
“I can’t certify or say with full certainty that there is a direct link [to the Ortega-Murillo family]. But given the characteristics of those behind Global Group, it’s possible that this is part of a process of installing front men in these economic activities,” said Ruiz, who was denationalized by the regime.
He also questioned the fact that the mining company appears to have no parent company—or at least none is named in public records—as required by the 2018 Law Against Money Laundering, Terrorism Financing, and Financing of the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction.
“Global Group has no known experience, no clear origin, and doesn’t appear in Nicaragua’s gold export records,” he emphasized.
Global Group Obtained “Expedited” Concessions
Ruiz pointed out another irregularity in the process: the speed with which the concessions were granted. According to the ministerial agreements, the 121,877 hectares were requested on February 5, 2025. Within five months, the Ministry of Energy and Mines had already issued a mining land survey report, verifying that the applicant met the legal, technical, and financial requirements, and granted the concessions.
“The timeline for granting these mining concessions was drastically shortened,” the environmentalist said.
The ministerial resolutions also state that on May 6, 2025, the Attorney General’s Office for Municipalities issued a favorable opinion on Global Group’s request. However, it remains unknown whether any environmental studies were conducted.
Ruiz noted that the speed with which these concessions were delivered resembles the “preferential treatment” that Chinese-capital companies receive in Nicaragua—entities that have quickly gained ground in the country’s mining sector.
Mining Concessions in Nicaragua
As of August 2024, Nicaragua had granted 248 mining concessions and had 115 additional applications pending review.
Nicaragua’s mining exports reached $1.391 billion in 2024, a 20% increase compared to 2023, according to the Central Bank of Nicaragua.
That growth was driven by increases in both gold (20%) and silver (24.6%) exports, due to rising contract prices and higher export volumes, according to the state’s issuing bank.
Gold is Nicaragua’s top export product. Calibre Mining—a publicly traded Canadian company operating in the country since 2009—was the largest exporter in 2023, according to official figures.
First published in Spanish by Confidencial and translated and posted in English by Havana Times.