El Salvador - January 15, 2025 El Salvador's President, Nayib Bukele, defended mining activities on Tuesday, despite opposition from certain sectors of society regarding the recently approved law allowing mining exploitation in the country. He emphasized that, so far, no permits have been granted for such practices. During a conference at the Presidential House, Bukele explained that the General Law of Metal Mining, which was passed in December 2024 by the ruling party in Congress at the initiative of his government, is "very different from the previous law." (Camera: VLADIMIR CHICAS). SHOT LIST: EL SALVADOR'S PRESIDENT, NAYIB BUKELE, ADDRESSES THE MINING ISSUES AT THE PRESIDENTIAL HOUSE, IN SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR. SOUNDBITES: EL SALVADOR'S PRESIDENT, NAYIB BUKELE (IN SPANISH). TRANSLATION: - It’s not just that the government will have more control over what is done, but it will also bear more responsibility, since it is the government that will extract minerals alongside the company. The government will be there. - There are no mining permits yet, but once the office is set up to address the interests of mining companies from around the world, they will have to negotiate with the government regarding their participation in operations. [Restrictions: Spain, Latin America, or the U.S. Hispanic market]