Arias Foundation denies receiving funds from mining, roadway companies

In a statement released Wednesday, the Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress, a private non-profit organization founded by former Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, denied receiving funds from Autopistas del Sol and Industrias Infinito, two multinational companies that sought large-scale infrastructure and mining project deals in Costa Rica.

Later the same day, Costa Rica’s Attorney General Jorge Chavarría confirmed to the daily La Nacíon that an investigation is under way to probe whether Infinito Industrias, a Costa Rican subsidiary of a Canadian mining company, donated money to the Arias foundation, which encourages conflict resolution in the region through diplomatic means.

The foundation announced “that it does not have nor has it ever had any links with these companies,” and that no funds have been requested or received through donations.

The statement also said annual reports and an annual external audit sent to the Comptroller General of the Republic will prove that the organization never received any money from the companies. 

Infinitro Industrias is the Costa Rican subsidiary of Infinito Gold. The company was the local operator of the controversial Crucitas gold mining project in northern Costa Rica near the Nicaraguan border, which was shut down by a court ruling in November. Arias had granted Industrias Infinito mining permits to begin the gold mining project.

Autopistas del Sol is a Costa Rican-Spanish conglomerate contracted by the Costa Rica government to build and operate the Caldera Highway to the Pacific coast.