Aura Minerals Inc. Announces Suspension of Operations at San Andres
ROAD TOWN, Dec. 10, 2018 - Aura Minerals Inc. (TSX: ORA) announces that the San Andres mine has suspended mining operations due to the illegal occupation of its private lands. The Company will continue to process its heap leach piles until they are depleted.
Rodrigo Barbosa, Aura’s President & CEO commented, "We are obviously extremely disappointed and frustrated that we have experienced another invasion from a small number of individuals. These illegal actions are having a disastrous impact on the local communities, employees, vendors and contractors. We have the support of the communities shown through local agreements and a number of large community marches."
The Company continues to work with the local and national governments to resolve this situation and remains cautiously confident that the Ministerio Público and local police will enforce the rule of law in Honduras, however until such time as a satisfactory outcome is achieved, operations may remain suspended.
At this time, the Company is not updating its gold production and cash cost guidance.
Further updates on the situation at San Andres will be provided as they become available.
About Aura Minerals
Aura is a mid-tier gold and copper production company focused on the development and operation of gold and base metal projects in the Americas.
The Company's producing assets include the San Andres gold mine in Honduras, the Ernesto/Pau-a-Pique gold mine. in Brazil and the Aranzazu copper-gold-silver mine in Mexico. The Company has completed an exploration program at its Sao Francisco gold mine in Brazil to determine if a re-start of the mine is feasible. In addition, the Company has two additional gold projects in Brazil, Almas and Matupá, and one gold project in Colombia, Tolda Fria.
Aura is focused on responsible, sustainable growth and strives to operate to the highest environmental and safety standards and in a socially responsible manner at all of its operations.
For further information on Aura, please visit Aura’s web site at www.auraminerals.com or contact:
Ryan Goodman
VP, Legal Affairs and Business Development
305-239-9332
Email: info@auraminerals.com
Website: www.auraminerals.com
Forward-Looking Information
This press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements", as defined in applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements") which may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including, without limitation, expectation with respect to further invasions at the San Andres mine and the Company’s gold production and cash cost. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words and phrases such as "plans," "expects," "is expected," "budget," "scheduled," "estimates," "forecasts," "intends," "anticipates," or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may," "could," "would," "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved.
Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to predict or control could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Specific reference is made to the most recent Annual Information Form on file with certain Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities for a discussion of some of the factors underlying forward-looking statements, which include, without limitation, copper and gold or certain other commodity price volatility, changes in debt and equity markets, the uncertainties involved in interpreting geological data, increases in costs, environmental compliance and changes in environmental legislation and regulation, interest rate and exchange rate fluctuations, general economic conditions and other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect the forward-looking statements.
All forward-looking statements herein are qualified by this cautionary statement. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. If the Company does update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that it will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.