The government is no longer granting environmental permits for open-pit mining projects, the Ministry of Energy, Natural Resources, Environment and Mines. It also plans to shut down open-pit mines already in operation.
Castro, a democratic socialist, won a landslide victory in last year’s presidential election after campaigning on a radical agenda to counter years of governance plagued by corruption and scandal.
Honduras gained independence from Spain in 1821 and was a part of the First Mexican Empire until 1823, when it became part of the United Provinces of Central America. It has been an independent republic and has held regular elections since 1838.
The Act led to the eventual formation of the modern nations of Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
Tegucigalpa was founded by Spanish settlers as Real de Minas de San Miguel de Tegucigalpa on September 29, 1578 on the site of an existing native settlement of the Pech, Tolupans and the Twahkas
A farming settlement from as early as 1000 BCE, Copán emerged as a major centre around 250 C.E. The traditional named founder of Copán, K’inich Yax K’uk Mo’, reigned from 426 C.E. to c. 437 C.E.
The fertile Copán River valley was long a site of agriculture before the first known stone architecture was built in the region about the 9th century BC.
