A Gudiña, Spain, July 23, 2026 (Lusa) - The mayor of A Gudiña said on Thursday that he understood the concerns of Portuguese local councillors and environmentalists regarding the mine in a village in this Spanish municipality, but stated that he is in favour of this mining operation, which has been halted due to a lack of environmental documentation.
Portuguese and Spanish environmentalists and local councillors from the municipality of Vinhais, in the district of Bragança, met this morning with Mayor Néstor Blanco, following the protest they staged against the open-cast tungsten mining operation in the village of Pentes, A Gudiña, Galicia, which lies just two kilometres from Vinhais and the Montesinho Nature Park in the district of Bragança.
After handing over a letter setting out all their concerns regarding the contamination of the River Rabaçal, which supplies 14 villages in Vinhais, and the destruction of ecosystems, the mayor of A Gudiña told Lusa that he «understands the Portuguese people's concerns» and revealed that the mining operation had been halted due to a lack of environmental documentation.
«Six days ago, they submitted the application to commence operations, along with a great deal of documentation, and we have 15 days to review all the documentation and raise any objections,» he said.
However, he explained, if everything is in order, «we have no choice, by law, but to grant authorisation for operations to begin».
«Gudiña is in favour of the Pentes mine (…). The village of Pentes will receive money from leases (…) 50 or 60 direct jobs will be created, and we have taken a stance in support of the mine,» he stated.
However, the issue at stake is the lack of a cross-border environmental impact assessment, which was not requested from the Portuguese government and which is required by law, a fact already confirmed by the European Commission.
In this regard, Néstor Blanco said that he would inform the company responsible for the operation, Tungsten San Juan, a Galician subsidiary of Eurobattery Minerals, of the need for this cross-border declaration.
«I will tell them that I had a meeting with our Portuguese neighbours, who are concerned, and I believe they must carry out the cross-border environmental impact assessment,» he added.
When asked about potential environmental impacts in Spain, the mayor said he was not concerned, explaining that the mine will not use explosives and that the water used will be reused. He acknowledged that he will continue to monitor the work to ensure the environment is not compromised.
The mayor of Vinhais, Luís Fernandes, met with the mayor and, speaking to Lusa, said he viewed the suspension of mining operations as a positive development, but emphasised that, contrary to what the municipality of A Gudiña believes, for the project to go ahead, not only will environmental assessments from Galicia be required, but also a cross-border one.
«I think it is possible to halt it [the mining project], bearing in mind the existing rules; however, it is true that this is a fight we must continue to wage, and it is true that we are talking about a mine in a country other than Portugal, which in itself creates some difficulties and does not depend solely on us. But this is an issue that must be addressed at the government level and by the European Union,» emphasised Luís Fernandes.
The mining project has been the subject of numerous objections from organisations and bodies due to its proximity to the Portuguese border, as it is situated two kilometres from Vinhais.
This tungsten mining operation in the province of Ourense is expected to commence in the fourth quarter of this year.
ANYP/ADB // ADB.
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