Minera Autlán to Invest a Further US$700,000 In Social Programs
Home > Mining > Article

Minera Autlán to Invest a Further US$700,000 In Social Programs

Photo by:   Vladimir Patkachakov
Share it!
Fernando Mares By Fernando Mares | Journalist & Industry Analyst - Thu, 11/10/2022 - 12:22

After it faced protests from local communities, Minera Autlán reached an agreement with the government of Hidalgo to invest in social programs to benefit inhabitants of surrounding communities. Following discussions with the local government, Minera Autlán agreed to invest US$715,600 in further sustainable development programs to benefit 48 communities in the region, which are located within a manganese mining environment.

According to the local government’s Secretary of Government, Guillermo Olivares, the government of Hidalgo was a mediator between Minera Autlán and some discontented communities. He said that thanks to the government’s intervention, both parties could sit at the negotiation table and talk, which in the end resulted in the Investment Fund 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the Molango Manganese-Producing District, which will benefit communities in the municipalities of Molango, Tepehuacan, Xochicoatlan, Lolotla and Tlanchinol. “Owing to this agreement, we established the basis for coordination and cooperation to reach a deal, through which Minera Autlán committed to the increasing by US$715,600 it already allocates to 48 communities located in the manganese-producing district,” Olivares said.

Olivares reported that community members had continuously asked for social programs, food banks and more economic benefits to raise the living standards of these remote communities. Therefore, the government enabled a strategy to focus on these needs. “We will start with immediate consultation with the different communities, with the aim of understanding their wishes. We intend to involve the population and let them decide what kind of action we need to take to their benefit,” he added. 

Regarding the complaints and blockades against the company, Olivares said that dialogue should always be a priority. “There will always be a way to reach an agreement, both parties must give up something. Key is that both players profited and that no one feels like they lost out, because this administration will work to make every need heard and fulfilled,” Olivares said. 

Elsa Saucedo, Corporate Manager, Minera Autlán, said that the company and the government will create a committee conformed of a representative from the local government, the company and an expert in sustainability matters, as well as representatives from the communities. She added that the agreement will be valid until October 2023 and said that the company already has social programs in the area. “In Hidalgo, Autlán created 1,017 direct jobs, as well as 2,333 indirect jobs. Eighty-eight percent of our employees live in Xochicoatlan, Molango, Lolotla, Tlanchinol and Tepehuacan. Since this administration took office, we started to create an agreement that fosters a better understanding of surrounding communities,” Saucedo said. 
 

Photo by:   Vladimir Patkachakov

You May Like

Most popular

Newsletter