Roland Mineral plans to acquire mineral rights in Venezuela

Roland Mineral Enterprises Corp. [TSXV: RME] has begun a Venezuelan mineral rights acquisition program to aggressively seek out and acquire interests in Venezuelan mineral properties, including mining rights to known gold, silver and copper mineral deposits and exploration areas.

Recent material events in Venezuela, including the removal of Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from Venezuela on January 3, 2026, the focus of Venezuela and the United States on immediately realizing on the potential of Venezuela’s oil and mineral resource assets for all stakeholders, and Venezuela’s new draft mining law, make Venezuelan gold, silver and copper deposits and resources especially attractive for pioneering, transformative and rapidly adaptable resource companies such as Roland Mineral Enterprises.

In connection with its Venezuelan mineral rights acquisition program, Roland has entered into a strategic access agreement providing for Roland’s immediate access to and utilization of the material information created and developed by Placer Dome Inc. during its exploration and development of Venezuela’s Las Cristinas gold deposit. Information includes exploration data, technical reports and business information which was obtained and subsequently further developed by Vannessa Ventures Ltd. when it acquired Placer Dome’s interests in the Las Cristinas gold deposit in 2001.

The strategic access agreement also provides Roland with the exclusive use and benefit of Vannessa’s geologists, accountants, lawyers and other contractors. Vannessa Ventures’ successors are parties to the strategic access agreement. The strategic access agreement has customary confidentiality clauses and provides for compensation to be negotiated based on future outcomes.

The Las Cristinas gold deposit is located in Bolivar state, southeastern Venezuela. Las Cristinas is one of the largest known undeveloped gold deposits in the world. The Brisas, Albino and other known gold deposits in Venezuela, together with gold, silver and copper exploration targets, including those made famous in the KM 88 gold rush prior to the late Hugo Chavez becoming President of Venezuela, are targets for Roland’s Venezuelan mineral rights acquisition program.

Roland intends to seek and acquire interests and rights to explore, develop and mine mineral properties in Venezuela under the new mining regime focusing immediately on existing known gold, copper and silver deposits.

Placer Dome reported 1,084 diamond drill holes at Las Cristinas, incurring more than $171 million in exploration and development expenditures prior to Placer Dome’s sale of its interests in Las Cristinas to Vannessa Ventures in 2001.

Mine Development Associates’ November 2007, technical report prepared for Crystallex International Corp. included Placer Dome’s exploration results in reporting the following at a 0.5-g/t gold cut-off based on 1,174 drill holes totalling 160,600 metres with a gold grade of 1.03 grams per tonne and assuming US$750/oz gold.

Measured and Indicated resources stand at 629,383,000 tonnes grading 1.03 g/t gold. Inferred resources are 229,626 tonnes of 0.85 g/t gold.

Las Cristinas highlights: Very advanced-stage gold project with extensive exploration and engineering studies conducted by major and junior mining companies over three decades.

Substantial prior investment in mine development, infrastructure and community services by previous operators.

Located within the prolific Guyana Shield, which hosts additional large Venezuelan gold deposits, including Brisas.

Las Cristinas history: Placer Dome entered a joint venture with state-owned CVG (Corporacion Venezolana de Guayana) for the Las Cristinas gold project. After extensive exploration and development, Placer Dome announced commencement of construction of the Las Cristinas mine in 1997. By 1999, gold prices had slipped to $275, with Placer Dome selling its stake in Las Cristinas to Vannessa Ventures in 2001.

Following Placer Dome’s sale of its interest in Las Cristinas to Vannessa Ventures, Venezuelan disputes led to the National Guard seizing control of the project. CVG was given government authority to subsequently award mining of Las Cristinas to Crystallex International. Crystallex exited Las Cristinas in 2008 following the Venezuelan government’s refusal to grant the required exploitation permit.

“Las Cristinas is widely recognized as one of the largest undeveloped gold deposits in the world,” said Frank Garofalo, Roland’s vice-president, business development. “Placer Dome’s previous exploration and mine development, together with work by Vannessa, Crystallex and others, demonstrate Las Cristinas can be a world-class, long-life gold mine of tremendous benefit to all stakeholders, especially Venezuelans. People are the cornerstone of success.

“Roland is assembling a specialized team to expeditiously advance its Venezuelan mineral rights acquisition program by working to acquire interests in Las Cristinas and other Venezuelan gold, silver and copper deposits and projects. Accessing Placer Dome’s and Vannessa’s Las Cristinas exploration data, and technical and other reports and their Venezuelan information and contacts accelerates Roland’s pursuit of Las Cristinas to realize on this opportunity. We are in a unique and opportune moment in Venezuelan mining history. We believe Venezuela’s very recent opening to mining and investment, coupled with our immediate access to a wealth of data and people, make Roland’s Venezuelan mineral rights acquisition program especially well timed and favourable.”

Roland has agreed to a non-brokered private placement offering of eight million units at a price of 25 cents per unit for gross proceeds of $2 million. Each unit consists of one Roland common share and one-half of one transferable warrant, with each whole warrant entitling the holder to purchase one additional share at a price of 35 cents per share for two years. Proceeds of the financing will be used for general corporate purposes. A 7% finder’s fee is payable on a portion of the private placement. The financing and finder’s fee are subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval.

Roland also announced that it is continuing to advance its negotiations to acquire, by option agreement, an interest in the Las Crucitas gold mine project. Las Crucitas is an advanced-stage gold project located in Costa Rica, as announced October 27, 2025. An option agreement is expected to be finalized within the next several weeks.

Roland’s projects include the Dominion Creek Dredge gold project in the Klondike region of Yukon, the Gwyn Lake gold project in the historic Beardmore-Geraldton greenstone gold belt in Ontario, ownership of the Buck Lake platinum, palladium, nickel and gold project near the Lac des Iles Platinum and Palladium mine in Ontario, and a controlling interest in the Fox Creek lithium brine project in Alberta, Canada.