Mining in El Salvador

Mining in El Salvador expanded in scope from artisanal mining to industrial mining at a mine in San Sebastián in the 1970s. Chemicals from that mine polluted the San Sebastián River.

Mining activity ceased during the Salvadoran Civil War. After the war, the country's right-wing government proposed 33 designated mining zones and issued exploration licences to American, Australian, and Canadian companies. The plan was met with opposition from many local community and community leaders, who successfully blocked exploration in Chalatenango in 2005.

Canadian company, Pacific Rim Mining Corporation obtained a permit to explore the El Dorado gold mine in 2002, but were denied a license to mine in 2008, following local opposition.

Mining for metal was banned in 2017, although the creation of a mining regulator in 2021 and the arrest of anti-mining activists in 2023 prompted public speculation that the government is considering resuming mining.