Dominga Mine Rejection Stands in Chile as Andes Iron Drops Supreme Court Appeals
MINING · CHILE
Key Facts
- —The country Chile, where the planned Dominga iron and copper mine and port in La Higuera, Coquimbo Region, has been disputed for more than a decade.
- —What happened On 28 September 2026 Andes Iron withdrew its Supreme Court appeals. A 20 February 2026 appeals-court ruling that left the project’s rejection firm therefore stands (El Desconcierto, La Tercera).
- —Who is involved Andes Iron, linked to the Délano Méndez and Garcés families; Los Choros fishers and environmental groups opposing Dominga; and pro-Dominga groups seeking to annul the rejection.
- —What it means for you A project Andes Iron values at more than US$3 billion (La Tercera, CNN Chile) stays blocked. Any revival now runs through ministers in President José Antonio Kast’s cabinet.
- —Still open The Environmental Evaluation Service has admitted requests to invalidate the January 2025 rejection. No date for a decision has been announced.
The rejection of the Dominga mine in Chile stands after Andes Iron dropped its Supreme Court appeals on 28 September. El Desconcierto and BioBioChile reported the move. The company now wants President José Antonio Kast’s ministers to reopen the file.
The iron and copper project with its own port in La Higuera, Coquimbo Region, has been contested for more than a decade. Andes Iron puts the investment at more than US$3 billion, La Tercera reported.
What Andes Iron Withdrew
The company filed a brief abandoning its cassation and complaint appeals against a 20 February ruling by the Antofagasta Court of Appeals. That ruling had left firm a January 2025 rejection by a committee of ministers.
The judges had already decided the case and only the drafting of the ruling remained, said lawyer Antonia Berríos. She represents the association of fishers and shellfish divers of Los Choros, a fishing village nearby.
“The effect of this action by the company is that no ruling will be issued,” Berríos told El Desconcierto and Cooperativa. The Antofagasta decision therefore stands.
Why the Company Says It Stepped Back
In a statement, Andes Iron said the court case had frozen invalidation requests filed by pro-Dominga social organisations. It withdrew “so as not to obstruct their progress,” the statement said, as quoted by Cooperativa and La Tercera.
The company argues that the 2025 rejection “openly contravened” an earlier ruling of the First Environmental Court, a specialised tribunal. It called the rejection an administrative act carried out in contempt of that court.
Andes Iron told Cooperativa the move is a change of strategy, not the end of the project. It will seek a new decision from a committee of ministers, this time drawn from Kast’s cabinet.
The Environmental Evaluation Service (SEA), which runs Chile’s permit reviews, has admitted the invalidation requests. El Desconcierto and Diario El Día reported this.
More Than a Decade of Permits and Courts
A regional environmental commission in Coquimbo approved Dominga in August 2021, and the company says that permit remains valid. In January 2023 a committee of ministers under President Gabriel Boric rejected the project.
A second committee vote rejected it again in January 2025. Andes Iron then tried to enforce the environmental court’s ruling through a compliance procedure, which the Antofagasta court blocked in February 2026.
On 10 August 2026 the company declared the start of construction, general manager Pedro Ducci said. Opponents called it a pressure tactic, since Dominga lacked a final environmental permit.
A report by CONAF, the national forestry agency, found protected native vegetation had been cut without an approved plan, El Desconcierto reported. Andes Iron rejected the accusation and said the work was rehabilitation of wells covered by its permit.
Why the Pressure Moves to Kast
Opponents say no court remedies remain against the Antofagasta ruling. They argue the invalidation route could open a political exit under the Kast government.
Carolina Bahamondes of MODEMA, a local environmental group, asked if it is valid “to override ethics and the judiciary” for a rejected project. Nancy Duman of the Alianza Humboldt coalition said Dominga has ended its evaluation in rejection three times.
Supporters see a stalled investment in a region short of jobs. On 28 September, the day of the withdrawal, Kast unveiled an emergency jobs plan and has also pushed faster environmental approvals.
The stabilising factor is that any new decision must follow a formal procedure that can be challenged. The risk for the government is that a quick approval could draw fresh lawsuits from fishers.
What Is Not Yet Known
It is not known when the SEA or a committee of ministers will rule on the invalidation requests. Kast’s government has not said whether it will defend or revisit the 2025 rejection.
The status of the preparatory works declared in August also remains disputed. Andes Iron plans larger works from the first quarter of 2027, La Tercera reported.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Dominga mine approved or rejected?
It is rejected. The January 2025 rejection by a committee of ministers stands. The Antofagasta Court of Appeals upheld it, and Andes Iron dropped its Supreme Court appeals.
Why did Andes Iron withdraw its appeals?
The company said the court case had frozen invalidation requests against the 2025 rejection. It wants those requests to move forward through the administrative route.
What role does Kast’s government play?
If the invalidation requests advance, the file could return to a committee of ministers from Kast’s cabinet. Opponents say an approval by that route would sidestep the courts.
Sources: El Desconcierto; Cooperativa; La Tercera; BioBioChile; CNN Chile; Diario El Día (all 28–29 September 2026); Andes Iron public statement of 28 September 2026 as quoted by Cooperativa and La Tercera.
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