There are no illegal miners at Brisas mainly because it is too low in concentration to be worth their while.
The environmental issue is equally without foundation. Would they have issued the permit in the first place if there was any cause or danger to the environment.
The only environmental 'problem', if one wants to call it so, is perhaps the removal of a couple hundred trees, if there are any to removed, and any contamination that may be is from past attempts at mining and nothing to do with the proposed actions.
So is the potential damage from some dust that may be wind blown from the property onto adjacent forest the issue? Yeah right.

Not granting permits for these projects means that illegal mining will contine and that is supposed to be more environmentally friendly, more profitable to the locals and the government in particular - Oh Yeah!

Finally GRZ proposes to restore the property after the mining is done with.

As to timing it has to be because of Vanessa, nothing else stands out enough at this time. Smear everyone to justify the action.

No wonder the notification that was sent was by a lower official.
Can you imagine the egg on the environment minister's face, or on Hugo's, had he made the statement with that kind of justification? Now, if any one of them wants to retract he can and still look good.