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Summary

In 2010, Costa Rican students, environmentalists, and citizens protested the Las Crucitas open pit gold mine, demanding cancellation of executive decrees and a moratorium on open pit mining. The campaign used marches, petitions, hunger strikes, and a sit-in to pressure President Laura Chinchilla. The protests succeeded when the appeals court struck down the mining concession and Congress banned new open pit mines.

Background

In 2008, former President Oscar Arias authorized the removal of over 600 acres of yellow almond trees to build a gold mine in Las Crucitas, despite laws protecting the trees as food for endangered green macaws. The concession was granted to Industrias Infinitos, a subsidiary of Canadian Infinito Gold Ltd., for an estimated $1 billion in gold. Environmental groups filed appeals, and the Constitutional Chamber stopped work in 2009, but Infinito regained a concession on April 16, 2010, only to be halted again by an administrative appeals court. Protesters demanded cancellation of the 2007 and 2008 executive decrees, a veto of the mine, and a moratorium on open pit mining.

What happened

On April 21, 2010, protesters gathered in front of the San Pedro Mall, dug a hole, and educated passersby about open pit mining, with some dressing as tractors and construction workers while singing and dancing [source: nv-database]. The next day, close to one hundred Costa Ricans gathered on the steps of the Supreme Court in San Jose, growing to thousands by noon, then marched to Central Park carrying posters and banners reading ‘The earth is not for sale’ and ‘Open-pit mining out,’ chanting ‘Yes to life, no to the mine’ [source: nv-database]. On May 8, President Chinchilla entered office and signed a decree banning open pit mining, suspending exploration and extraction using cyanide and mercury, and repealing the 2008 executive order [source: nv-database]. On July 12, protesters marched over 100 miles from San José to Las Crucitas, presenting Chinchilla with a petition to revoke the 2007 decree if the court ruled negatively [source: nv-database]. On October 8, fourteen activists from the North Front Against Mining and the Not One Mine Coordinating Committee set up an encampment in front of the Presidential Residence and began a hunger strike, with actress Rocio Carranza Maxera drawing media attention [source: nv-database]. On November 9, the Costa Rican congress voted to ban all new open pit mining projects, though not blocking Las Crucitas [source: nv-database]. On November 25, the appeals court struck down the concession granted to Industrias Infinitos and asked a prosecutor to open a criminal case against Arias and seven others [source: nv-database].

Key people & organizations

  • Grupo Costa Rica en Acción
  • Association for the Preservation of the Wild Flora and Fauna
  • North Front Against Mining
  • Not One Mine Coordinating Committee
  • Ecological Action Network (Renace)
  • Rocio Carranza Maxera
  • President Laura Chinchilla
  • Former President Oscar Arias
  • Industrias Infinitos
  • Infinito Gold Ltd.

Tactics used

The campaign combined public education and symbolic actions (digging a hole, skits) with mass marches, petitions, and a hunger strike to build pressure and media attention, culminating in legal and legislative victories. [source: nv-database]

Outcome

Verdict: won.

The protesters achieved all three goals: the 2007 decree was effectively nullified by the court ruling, the 2008 order was repealed by Chinchilla, and the mine was vetoed with a moratorium on open pit mining. The campaign succeeded due to sustained public pressure, legal challenges, and political support from President Chinchilla, though Infinito planned to appeal. [source: nv-database]

Lessons

  • Combining legal appeals with public protest can create multiple pressure points on decision-makers.
  • Hunger strikes and encampments can draw media attention and sustain public focus on an issue.
  • Building a broad coalition of students, environmentalists, and citizens amplifies the campaign’s reach and legitimacy.

Sources

Disclaimer: Included as a teaching example of campaign craft, not as endorsement.

Sources & verification

  • nv-database — grounding: primary — license: link-only
  • Rewritten: 2026-06-25 via worker_casestudies_v2.py

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