Santo Domingo.- Since early Wednesday morning farmers are staging a vigil around the mountain Loma de Miranda, around 100 kilometers north of the capital on the Duarte highway, between the cities Bonao and La Vega.

A similar protest two years ago rallied a major movement which managed to put a definitive halt to a planned cement plant next to Haitises National Park, one of Dominican Republic’s most diversified protected areas.

 The protest led by the embattled priest Rogelio Cruz which began 8am and will reportedly conclude 4pm seeks to prevent mining for the hill’s potential deposits of metals, by the Canadian miner Xtrata-Falcondo , previously Falconbridge.

Police agents have cordoned off the area where residents demand the preservation of the environment, with posters stating that the company which aims to mine the hill has yet to guarantee.