Boticas, Portugal, Oct. 9, 2026 (Lusa) - The Portuguese National Guard (the GNR) on Friday registered the identities of 27 opponents to the lithium mine in Covas do Barroso, in the district of Boticas, who are blocking Savannah's work on land subject to administrative easement, according to a source at the Vila Real Command.
The association Unidos em Defesa de Covas do Barroso (UDCB) began a blockade today aimed at halting work in one of the areas under administrative easement and acknowledges that this is a necessary step to «escalate the resistance» in the face of a lack of responses and the «government's unwillingness to listen» to the community's demands.
The GNR was called to the scene and, after being contacted by the Lusa news agency, stated that 27 people had been identified as taking part in the blockade, adding that the company had decided to suspend work today.
A company source added that, «as a precaution, and in coordination with the authorities, work on the ground has been suspended today, whilst continuing in its many other areas».
In May, the ministry for the environment authorised a second administrative easement, allowing Savannah to access communal and private land for geotechnical work; this was challenged in court through an interim injunction filed by the Governing Board of the Communal Lands of the Parish of Covas do Barroso, which led to the suspension of prospecting activities for around 20 days.
This morning, Nélson Gomes, leader of the UDCB, told Lusa that they had come together to prevent Savannah Resources from continuing with the work and stressed that the «land, whether communal or privately owned, belongs to the community».
He also stated that it is «necessary to resist the project» and recalled that the fight against mining has been going on for almost 10 years, causing «great hardship» to the lives of those who oppose the mine.
«But we have always said that we will not give up; the struggle continues and is escalating further, because when the authorities do not respond to us, when they pay no heed to us, when the Government completely ignores our concerns and the will of the people, it makes no sense,» he emphasised.
He added that this is a project «that jeopardises people's quality of life, the environment and water resources».
He singled out the Directorate-General for Energy and Geology (DGEG) and the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), «authorities that should be overseeing the project and which are failing to answer the questions» that have been raised, notably regarding deforestation that took place outside the authorised period and the withdrawal of water from streams.
He also expressed concern about the «around 10» mining projects and prospecting applications in the Barroso region alone.
The mining project in Boticas was given the go-ahead by the Portuguese Environment Agency, which issued a conditional favourable Environmental Impact Statement in 2023.
Savannah Resources intends to begin construction in 2027 and commence initial production in 2028.
PLI/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
