Pueblo Viejo, the Government of the Dominican Republic, and representatives of affected communities have held dialogues in recent months, mediated by the Public Defender and observed by the Catholic Church. This “Commission” was convened to address outstanding issues linked to the resettlement process for the Pueblo Viejo mine’s expansion project. Today the Commission had successfully resolved the key issues and executed an agreement.
Aligned with International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standards, the resettlement program has been built on a foundation of continuous stakeholder engagement over the course of several years. The continued alignment to these standards was agreed to and reaffirmed within the Commission. In addition, a final compensation matrix has been established, with a premium paid for certain crops, and residency grievances dealt with, resulting in the inclusion of additional individuals in the resettlement program.
The Resettlement Action Plan (RAP), aligned with IFC Performance Standard 5, will be updated and finalized.
Following the conclusion of this process, compensation packages reflecting the agreed terms and rates will be presented to directly affected households. Individuals with existing RAP compensation agreements, where applicable, will receive top-up payments, ensuring consistency and reinforcing process integrity. Going forward, Pueblo Viejo will continue engagement on an individual basis with affected community members to ensure implementation of the agreed outcomes.
We acknowledge and are grateful for the participation of the Government, the Church, and the Public Defender throughout this process. The Commission has fulfilled its mandate and will now be dissolved.
Pueblo Viejo looks forward to continuing the resettlement of the remaining families to the Nuevos Horizontes community, which has already welcomed 31 households since the official opening ceremony in March 2025.
