Protests opposed to the mine left six people dead between 2011 and 2015.
Tia Maria is eventually expected to produce 120,000 metric tons of copper annually.
In the radio interview, Gonzalez said that though the mine was slated to begin production in 2027 “we will try to make it a little earlier.”
Shares in Southern Southern Copper, controlled by Grupo Mexico, rose over 1% following the announcement while the parent company saw its stock jump nearly 3%.
Gonzalez noted that community opposition had diminished in recent years and that the miner was working on a water dam study that…
