Most senators reject Xstrata Nickel’s planned mine

Santo Domingo.- 20 of the country’s 32 senators on Wednesday said they’ll defend the national interest and asked President Danilo Medina to preserve the mountain Loma Miranda, as heritage of the Dominican people.

"Regardless of any decision regarding Loma Miranda from the report by the United Nations Development Program, we as citizens and senators represent the feelings and aspirations of our communities and a wide swath of the nation, we assume the defense and perpetuity of Loma Miranda as our own and reject any attempt to carry out mining operations there," the lawmakers said in a letter to Medina.

They ask that Loma Miranda, including Xstrata Nickel’s planned mining site, be declared a protected area with national park status.

The document is signed by Félix Vásquez, Manuel Paula, Carlos Castillo, Euclides Sánchez, Rafael Calderón, Adriano Sánchez, José M. Sosa, José R. Vargas, Amílcar Romero, Wilton Guerrero, Luis R. Canaán, Juan Mercedes, Charlie Mariotti, Antonio Cruz, Arístides Victoria, Rubén D. Cruz, Ivonne Chahín, Amable Aristy, Eddy Mateo and Manuel Guichardo.