Grupo Minero Xiloá, S.A. (Grumixsa) purchased US$303,967.75 in cyanide between October 2024 and last September, according to the U.S.-based trade platform ImportGenius, which has access to global commercial data.
The cyanide was bought in Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, and South Korea. It is an essential chemical for processing gold at the plant — and also the key to a major business for the Ortega-Murillo family.
“The plant can process roughly 400 tons of ore per day, all of it purchased from artisanal miners because the company does not own any mines. After the ore is crushed, the operation uses cyanide to separate the gold from the waste. The volume of cyanide they are importing makes it clear the plant is running at full capacity,” explained a source familiar with the operation, who requested anonymity. What stands out is that the company does not report any gold exports.
Gold at Historic Prices
Mining sector sources estimate that with current prices, Grumixsa could receive around US$100 million a year from gold sales — even using conservative calculations.
The surge in gold prices is not only a direct financial lifeline for the regime at a time when it struggles to access financing; with a company run by Albanisa employees and state officials, it could also represent direct income for the ruling family.
According to the Central Bank of Nicaragua (BCN), gold exports reached US$1.235 billion between January and August 2025. In that period, the average price of a troy ounce was US$3,060.1, but it has continued to rise — reaching US$4,200 on November 13.
To calculate the “conservative” estimate of US$100 million, experts considered the Grumixsa plant in Villanueva, Chinandega. It spans 30 manzanas (roughly 52 acres). They believe its daily processing capacity is 400 tons of ore. The site sits within a 1,352.29-hectare property granted to Grumixsa by the State in October 2024 under the concession name “Flor de Azalea.”
“The company has no mines, unlike the major producers in the country. They only have exploration concessions. But the plant can produce 30,000 ounces of refined gold a year. That means they can conservatively generate US$100 million annually,” the specialist added.
This amount would be a significant financial support for Ortega — especially now that Venezuelan aid, once a multimillion-dollar income source, is gone. Between 2009 and 2016, Ortega received about US$3.5 billion in Venezuelan cooperation, which was privatized and became an off-the-books budget with zero accountability.
Cash Payments to Hide the Money Trail
According to sources, Grumixsa buys ore from artisanal miners in cash. It reportedly pays its workers the same way. The goal: to leave no financial trace.
In addition to its close ties to the Ortega-Murillo business network and operating a former Eniminas concession, Grumixsa occupies the same Bolonia offices in Managua that once belonged to Eniminas — sanctioned by the United States in 2022.
Where Is All the Gold Going?
Despite Grumixsa’s commercial activity, reflected in its imports, ImportGenius records do not show gold export data for the company in recent years. Specialists question how the gold is being moved out of Nicaragua.
No website or phone number for Grupo Minero Xiloá, S.A. (Grumixsa) could be found online.
Plant Also Belonged to Eniminas
Environmental activist Amaru Ruiz, director of Fundación del Río, says the Grumixsa plant previously belonged to Eniminas. It was called “Mahura” and was authorized in 2020. The order to transfer it to the new company was issued in October 2024, according to official documentation reviewed by LA PRENSA.
Ruiz believes the company’s purpose is to help evade U.S. sanctions. “The regime changed all the legal structures and installed this new company with regime-linked individuals to become the new operators of the plant built through Eniminas,” he said.
Connections to the Executive Branch
According to a LA PRENSA investigation, Grumixsa’s legal representative is Marlon José Salinas López, a former employee of Albanisa, the company through which the presidential family privatized Venezuelan aid.
The notary who drafted the power-of-attorney — Sobeida Vicenta Toruño Real — works at the Hugo Chávez Foundation, located half a block from Albanisa’s gate in Lomas de Monserrat.
Major Shareholder Linked to Ortega-Murillo Network
Grumixsa’s majority shareholder is Urbanizadora Industrial, one of the corporate entities tied to the Ortega-Murillo family. According to a 2022 Confidencial investigation, URBISA is one of 22 companies in the family’s corporate network and is linked to attorney Patricia Josefina Villarreal Martínez — a close ally of Rosario Murillo.
Wide Open to Corruption
According to Ruiz, the dictatorship is reconfiguring the gold sector to serve the financial interests of the ruling family and the Chinese partners who have recently entered the industry and received concessions at accelerated speeds.
Fundación del Río reported that the State has granted more than 56 mining concessions to Asian companies, covering over 800,000 hectares.
Ruiz also worries that these Chinese companies are completely opaque — no websites, no project descriptions, no environmental impact reports. He sees “one anomaly after another,” backed by the regime’s complicity.
