ROAD TOWN, British Virgin Islands, Feb. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aura Minerals Inc. (TSX: ORA, B3: AURA33 and OTCQX: ORAAF) (“Aura” or the “Company”) proudly announces that the Foundation San Andres, the social foundation of Minosa, has launched an innovative venture called Seeds of Hope (the “Seeds of Hope” or “Venture”) aimed at fostering social and economic progress through the cultivation of grapes and wine production at the Minosa Mine (the “Mine” or “Minosa”) (San Andres Mine), in Honduras. The Venture is designed to provide economic diversification and new employment opportunities in the surrounding local communities, with the potential to revitalize the regional economy for at least the next 50 years. Located within a one-hectare section of the Mine, the Seeds of Hope, will encompass the cultivation of eight distinct grape varieties, and is part of Aura's ongoing commitment to innovation, sustainable development and responsible mining.
The Seeds of Hope has already yielded positive outcomes, providing employment to 30 individuals and is projected to create up to 250 direct jobs once the vineyard is fully operational, which it is expected to be fully compromised of residents in line with Minosa workforce of 90% residents. With an initial investment of approximately US$1 million planned for the first five years, the Venture consists of two key phases, starting with research and will transition to industrial-scale production.
Rodrigo Barbosa, CEO of Aura Minerals, commented, "We are proud to announce this important movement of the Foundation San Andres, dedicated to creating environments of prosperity in the communities where we operate, aiming to leave a lasting and positive legacy. This commitment extends to our approach to responsible mining and our latest venture in Honduras. Just like mining, developing a vineyard requires patience, investment, and research. This venture is not just an agricultural venture; it's a step towards transforming the Copán region into a renowned wine-producing area, bringing prosperity to its people. This focus on generating positive impacts for our communities highlights Aura's commitment and is a core aspect of our culture. The Aura 360 culture guides our actions and decisions, ensuring we think about our impact, considering all stakeholders, including our employees, the communities we are part of, the environment, and our Company. This integrated approach defines our way of working and being, reinforcing our journey towards significant change in the Aura Minosa region and Honduras as a whole."
Image 1: Rodrigo Barbosa, President and CEO of Aura Minerals, joined by Andrea Saldanha Watson Ambassador of Brazil in Honduras, and Miguel Medina, Investment Promotion Minister of Honduras, to plant the first seedling for the Seeds of Hope Venture
About The Foundation San Andres
The Foundation San Andres is the social arm of Minosa that allows intersectoral collaboration to contribute to the construction of sustainable communities through strategic alliances for the implementation of programs and projects that strengthen the bases of equitable and lasting progress in rural areas; as well as join forces to build a future of opportunities and shared prosperity.
About Aura Minerals Inc.
Aura is focused on mining in complete terms – thinking holistically about how its business impacts and benefits every one of our stakeholders: our company, our shareholders, our employees, and the countries and communities we serve. We call this 360° Mining.
Aura is a mid-tier gold and copper production company focused on operating and developing gold and base metal projects in the Americas. The Company has 4 operating mines including the Aranzazu copper-gold-silver mine in Mexico, the Apoena (EPP) and Almas gold mines in Brazil, and the Minosa (San Andres) gold mine in Honduras. The Company’s development projects include Borborema and Matupá both in Brazil. Aura has unmatched exploration potential owning over 630,000 hectares of mineral rights and is currently advancing multiple near-mine and regional targets along with the Serra da Estrela copper project in the prolific Carajás region of Brazil.
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. 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, volatility in the prices of gold, copper and certain other commodities, 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.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5e920873-ecae-4ab9-9155-47f9fd6ae555
