Security forces evacuated Costa Rican President Laura Fernandez during her tour of an illegal mining area today after a powerful explosion erupted in the area, Agence France-Presse reported.
The conservative populist later told reporters that she was unharmed after the incident in the town of Crucitas near the Nicaraguan border. The president and several lawmakers were touring an area known for its unlicensed gold mines when an explosion of unknown origin caused her armed bodyguards to rush her into a car, according to video footage from the scene.
“I felt like I was in a movie. They grab you by the hair, throw you on the ground and put you in the car,“ she said, adding that she was in good condition.
The president told reporters that the incident demonstrated the dangers in the region, where criminal gangs illegally mine gold and pollute the environment.
In March, Costa Rica and Nicaragua agreed to cooperate against illegal mining along their shared border.