The total area of ​​the concessions exceeds the surface area of ​​some departments such as Managua, Chinandega and Estelí, according to an analysis by CONFIDENCIAL. Nicaragua’s mining exports reached $1.39 billion USD in 2024, representing a 20.1% increase compared to 2023, according to the Central Bank of Nicaragua. The Most Recent Mining ConcessionsThe latest mining concessions to Chinese companies—covering 54,823 hectares (548.23 km²)—were granted on September 30 and October 3, 2025, according to certifications from the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM), published in the official government journal La Gaceta. On September 30, the dictatorship awarded 49,997 hectares in the department of Río San Juan, bordering Costa Rica, to Zhong Fu Development S.A. At the same time, Fundación del Río has denounced the expansion of illegal artisanal mining within the Río San Juan Biosphere Reserve and warned that these new concessions could legalize mining activity in the reserve’s core zone.