Latin American Minerals Commences Deep Target Identification Program at Paso Yobai Gold Project

Latin American Minerals Inc. (TSX VENTURE:LAT)(OTCQX:LATNF) (the "Company")
announces the commencement of CSAMT geophysical surveys at the Paso Yobai
Project in Paraguay, an early start to the 2013 exploration campaign to drill
the project's multiple geochemical gold targets. The ground-based geophysical
survey will initially focus on the X-Mile Trend prior to covering the Discovery
Trend and multiple outlying target areas. The intensive geophysics program is
expected to require 2 to 3 months. To follow up the initial deep reconnaissance
survey results, the Company will implement the second phase of the program with
targeted diamond drilling, expected to start by mid-February 2013. 


CSAMT (Controlled Source Audio Frequency Magneto-Tellurics) is a rapid,
high-resolution variant of the magneto-telluric class of geophysical surveys,
designed to provide detailed section views of lithology and structural features,
and to delineate any contrasting zones of hydrothermal alteration. The
geophysics survey contract was awarded to Canadian company Quantec Geoscience
Limited after a competitive bid process. Quantec is the world leader in deep
magneto-telluric and electrical survey technologies for mineral exploration. 


Miles Rideout, President and CEO of the Company, stated, "We have seen CSAMT
surveys employed with excellent results on many gold systems over more than two
decades. Applying this imaging technology at Paso Yobai, prior to drill testing
many of our surface gold targets, will allow us to employ better structural
information in the initial drill targeting, and will extend our targeting
ability to more than 300 metres depth. The high resolution of CSAMT will allow
us to better understand the nature, depth and orientation of major mineral
targets. The potential benefits to the Paso Yobai gold project include:
increased exploration depth, improved drill target identification, reduced
reconnaissance drilling cost and improved target prioritization."


About the Paso Yobai Gold Project:

The Paso Yobai Project is a 15,020 hectare exploration and mining property with
multiple large gold showings mapped at surface. The two primary gold bearing
structures at Paso Yobai include the 4500 metre Discovery Trend and the 14,800
metre X-Mile Trend. Additional oblique trends and outlying gold zones have been
delineated by the Company's work programs, producing a gold system footprint
approaching 100 sq. km. in area.


The Company is operating the Independencia Mine Pilot Plant on the 99%-owned,
fully permitted mining concession, part of the Company's larger Paso Yobai Gold
Project. 


About the Company: 

Latin American Minerals Inc. is a mineral exploration company whose core
projects include the Independencia Mine and satellite targets in the new Paso
Yobai gold district. The Company also holds diamond, REE, niobium and base
metals projects in South America. All the Company's projects feature year-around
road access and mineral occurrences tested at surface.

Dr. Waldo Perez is the Company's internal "Qualified Person" under the
requirements of National Instrument 43-101.


The statements made in this press release that are not historical facts contain
forward-looking information that involves risk and uncertainties. All
statements, other than statements of historical facts, which address Latin
American Minerals' expectations, should be considered forward-looking
statements. Such statements are based on management's exercise of business
judgment as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to
management. When used in this document, the words "may", "will", "anticipate",
"believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend" and words of similar import, are
intended to identify any forward-looking statements. You should not place undue
reliance on these forward-looking statements. These statements reflect our
current view of future events and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties
as contained in Latin American Minerals' filings with Canadian securities
regulatory authorities. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties
materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual
results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking
statements. We undertake no obligation, and do not intend, to update, revise or
otherwise publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to
reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof, or to reflect the
occurrence of any unanticipated events, unless required under applicable
securities laws. Although we believe that our expectations are based on
reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that our expectations will
materialize.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: 
Latin American Minerals Inc.
Miles Rideout
President and CEO
Toronto: (1-416) 363-0841 or (1-416) 902-8558
[e-mail]
www.latinamericanminerals.com