The project sought to extract deposits of gold, copper and silver from a reserve of 1.1 million ounces, valued at around $5 billion, according to GoldQuest.

Hundreds demonstrated on Sunday to protest GoldQuest's proposed mining project in the Cordillera Central mountain range, raising concerns the extraction process would damage soil and water.

The location is far from tourist areas and near the southern province of San Juan, where the local agriculture-based economy supports 143,000 residents.

"When citizens express concerns and worries, our duty is to act with prudence and transparency, which is why I have ordered the immediate suspension of any activity" related to the project, President Luis Abinader said on his WhatsApp channel.

Although the project did not have the necessary permit, GoldQuest had hailed the Dominican government's "commitment" to moving forward with the project on its website.

"The initiative has only been in the environmental assessment phase and there is no authorization whatsoever," Abinader confirmed.

"My commitment is to the country, to its people, and to its future," he said.

The protests on Sunday, held in various areas of San Juan and the town of Sabaneta, were dispersed with tear gas. Four officers reported injuries as a result of clashes with demonstrators.

Sabaneta is home to the province's main dam, which supplies water to more than 30,000 hectares (74,000 acres) of crop-bearing lands.

Gold is the main export of the Dominican Republic, and mining accounts for around 2 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).