No, this is not the first time that artisanal sand miners in Guanacaste have obtained a concession, as Laura Fernández claimed

“I am very pleased to grant you Guanacaste’s first artisanal sand mining concession,” the president stated. Fernández did grant the first concession to the Nacascolo Sand Miners’ Association, whose members had been extracting sand from the Tempisque River for years without authorization. The existence of concessions for artisanal sand mining is documented in public records. Artisanal sand mining is documented in more recent official records. The 2023 mining assessment of the Chorotega region still included file 6-2001 from the Tempisque Valley Artisanal Sand Miners Association.