Terra Rossa Taps Industry Titans for High-Stakes Colombian Gold Project

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – February 25, 2026 – Terra Rossa Gold Ltd. (TSXV: TRR) has significantly bolstered its technical leadership, signaling an aggressive push to advance its Vetas gold project in Colombia with the strategic appointments of two highly respected industry veterans. The company announced that Carlos Alberto Velásquez has joined as Exploration Manager, and Doug Kirwin has been appointed as Lead Strategic Technical Advisor.

The move is seen by market watchers as a decisive step to de-risk and accelerate exploration at the Vetas project, a high-potential asset situated in one of Colombia's most prolific gold districts. By assembling a team with world-class discovery credentials and deep regional expertise, Terra Rossa is positioning itself to capitalize on a strong gold market as it moves toward a pivotal drilling campaign later this year.

Assembling a 'Dream Team' of Discovery

The credibility of any junior exploration company rests heavily on the quality of its technical team, and Terra Rossa's new appointments bring a wealth of experience. Doug Kirwin is a name that resonates globally in mineral exploration. An Australian geologist with over five decades of experience, Kirwin was a core member of the Ivanhoe Mines team and a co-recipient of the prestigious PDAC Thayer Lindsley medal in 2004. This award recognized the joint discovery of the super-giant Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold deposit in Mongolia, one of the most significant mineral discoveries of the modern era.

His track record extends beyond a single discovery, including involvement in finding multiple mines in Asia and Australia. Kirwin's role as Lead Strategic Technical Advisor is expected to provide high-level oversight and a proven methodology for identifying and testing large-scale mineral systems. His recent visit to the Vetas project in late 2025 underscores his hands-on approach to validating the project's potential.

Complementing Kirwin's global perspective is the deep, on-the-ground expertise of Carlos Alberto Velásquez. A senior geologist with 30 years of experience focused almost exclusively on Latin America, Velásquez brings an intimate understanding of the geological terranes and operational realities of countries like Colombia, Peru, and Nicaragua. His most recent role as Manager of Greenfield Exploration for Mineros in Nicaragua saw him lead programs for precious and polymetallic minerals. Critically, his career includes extensive work on epithermal deposits—the very type of mineralization found at Vetas—and a demonstrated ability to work constructively with local communities and indigenous groups, a vital skill for ensuring a project's social license to operate in Colombia.

Unlocking a High-Grade Colombian Asset

The focus of this newly assembled team is the Vetas gold project, located in the historic California-Vetas Mining District of Santander, Colombia. This region is known for hosting high-grade epithermal gold-silver veins and is situated near Aris Mining's major Soto Norte project, confirming the district's geological endowment.

The Vetas project is not a grassroots discovery; it comes with a substantial historical database from work conducted by CB Gold between 2009 and 2013, which included 162 diamond drill holes totaling over 71,000 meters. This previous work encountered numerous high-grade intercepts, with historical highlights such as 506.69 g/t gold over 0.74 meters and 78.14 g/t gold over 3.31 meters, confirming the presence of significant gold mineralization.

Terra Rossa's geological team has spent the last two months diligently validating this historical data, integrating it with new surface sampling and mapping, and building a comprehensive 3D geological model. According to the company, this work is defining key targets for a new phase of exploration. The upcoming program, slated to begin later in 2026 pending permit approvals, will involve drilling from both the surface and existing underground workings to test extensions of known veins and explore newly identified targets.

Navigating Colombia's Mining Future

Advancing a project in Colombia requires more than just technical acumen. The country represents a significant, and still emerging, opportunity for the global gold industry. While it possesses immense geological potential, successful development hinges on navigating its regulatory framework and fostering positive community relations. The Vetas project is situated in a district with a mining history stretching back centuries, providing a skilled local workforce and a culture accustomed to mining activity.

Terra Rossa has established a local office in the town of Vetas for community relations, and the appointment of Velásquez, with his specific experience in stakeholder engagement, reinforces the company’s commitment to a sustainable approach. This local integration is crucial for obtaining and maintaining the social license necessary for long-term operations and for smoothing the path for critical milestones like the receipt of drill permits.

The company's recent corporate activities also provide a solid foundation for its ambitious plans. Terra Rossa finalized a reverse takeover transaction in October 2025, securing its public listing on the TSX Venture Exchange and its current corporate structure. A minor update to an escrow agreement involving a director's shares was also announced, reflecting ongoing corporate governance. Describing itself as well-financed, the company appears poised to fund the exploration that its new technical team has been assembled to execute, all within the context of a bullish outlook for gold prices, with many analysts forecasting a strong market through 2026 and beyond. With the technical team in place and targets being refined, all eyes are now on the commencement of drilling, which will serve as the ultimate test of the new strategy and could mark a transformative period for Terra Rossa Gold.