About 20 injured in clashes against a mining project in Ecuador (+ photo + blog post)

The official called on the government of President Daniel Noboa to demilitarize the Andean region, where a consultation process is underway to address development permits for the La Plata mining project, granted to the Canadian mining company Atico.

Teban said in statements to the press on Tuesday in Quito that this consultation cannot be legitimate because societies have become militarized.

He added: “I have been a UN representative for four years and one of the main demands of indigenous people is for peaceful, free and informed consultations, that is, to have the possibility to say yes or no to mining extraction.” Governor.

https://x.com/FNAntiminero/status/1770223859985260799?s=20

He insisted on his request to the Executive to withdraw the army from Palo Quemado as well as from Las Bambas, the neighboring city, to avoid further casualties and confrontations in those communities, where, as he explained, there are many forgotten and poor people.

He stressed that they are small subjects, but that does not mean that they can be attacked.

Ecuador's Anti-Mining Front today denounced the “military and police repression” in Palo Quemado.

On its account on the social media network

Video clips spread on social media show clouds of smoke on the slopes of the mountains during the clashes and the sounds of gunfire are heard.

“Extractivism is once again watering the earth with the blood of peasants,” the Anti-Mining Front wrote in a letter accompanied by a photo of a person who had been shot.

This morning, the president of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAE), Leonidas Iza, filed a lawsuit for unconstitutionality against the Noboa government's Environmental Consultation Manual to deepen extractive activity.

Eza denounced that the Nobis Group, affiliated with the President's family, is involved in mining and for this reason the executive seeks to guarantee profits for its union.

In turn, the leader of the Indigenous and Peasant Movement of Cotopaxi, Alex Tuabanta, on Tuesday criticized in a press conference the initiation of legal proceedings against 70 members of the Palo Quemado community accused of terrorism for defending their lands.

Regarding the mining operation in Palo Quemado, the judicial system last November declared unconstitutional the consultation held there under a decree issued by then Governor Guillermo Lasso.

The Constitutional Court then ruled in favor of Konai and annulled the consultation process, which also included confrontations.

JHA/AFR