Environmental permits for Honduran metal and non-metal mining will be cancelled, the country's government said in a brief statement on Monday, describing the industry as harmful and declaring it will specifically prohibit open-pit mining.
The statement from the Ministry of Energy, Natural Resources, Environment and Mines added that natural areas with "high ecological value" will be preserved, without going into further detail.
"The approval of permits for extractive exploitation is cancelled due to being harmful to the state of Honduras, threatening natural resources, public health and because they limit access to water as a human right," according to the ministry's statement.
