Silence is golden: an exploration of local opposition to a Canadian gold mine project in Costa Rica

Significant changes in the global gold industry have altered where the operations of mining corporations are located, how they are developed, and the impact they have on local communities. Despite efforts to incorporate sustainable development frameworks into industries’ operations, considerable negative health and environmental impacts associated with gold mining continue to affect local communities and their global allies. This paper explores the conflict between economic interests and environmental protection efforts involved in the gold mining sector through examining the Canadian-owned Crucitas gold mine project in Costa Rica. The corporation’s plans to develop the project have provoked a nation-wide grassroots movement against foreign-owned mineral extraction operations. The resistance has emerged out of concern that these operations are compromising the communities’ health and the ecological value of the region. The paper aims to uncover the complexities that underlie the experiences of local communities and their struggles to resist such operations.