Santo Domingo.- Marching under a blazing sun, a group of about 50 young people left the capital yesterday en route to Cotu�, with the aim of camping outside the Barrick Gold Mining Company to demand the cancellation of their contract with the Dominican government.

Oscarlin Figueroa, a young man at the head of the procession, was disguised as a devil, because according to him, �the devil is Barrick Gold".

The march is billed as "150 kilometers for Cotu�", and the young protestors, who belong to several organizations, are demanding the cancellation of the contract for gold extraction between the Dominican State and Canadian multinational Barrick Gold on the grounds that it is unconstitutional and damaging to the environment.

They said they were not afraid of any repressive measures that the company might take against them, expressing hopes that the march would have the same effect as the campaign against the proposed construction of a cement factory in Gonz�lo, on the fringes of Los Haitises National Park, which was overturned last year chiefly due to massive public protests.

The demonstrators, who belong to groups like Felabel, Youth Community Movement (MJC) and Lucha por tus Derechos (Fight for Your Rights), aim to reach Cotu� by Saturday and camp there until Sunday.

Before they set off, the demonstrators were met by several political candidates, including V�ctor G�mez Casanova (PRD), Luis Acosta Moreta (UDC) and Pedro Catrain (DxC), who expressed support for their campaign.