In a press conference, leaders of the Federation of Indigenous and Farmers Organizations of Azuay (FOA), the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), and the United Workers’ Front (FUT) reported on resistance actions.

In response to the attempt by the Canadian company Dundee Precious Metals to carry out extractive activities in the water-rich area, environment defenders called for a march in the southern city of Cuenca on September 16, demanding the revocation of the environmental license granted to the project by the Daniel Noboa government.

He explained that the Court of Justice of Cuenca province demanded a free, prior, and informed consultation, and that technical reports must also be submitted, and none of these have been fulfilled. However, they submitted an environmental license and authorized the mining operation, Perez noted.

In response, he reported that they have gone to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and will meet with authorities from the International Labor Organization (ILO) this Thursday to file a formal complaint against the State.

The president of the FOA, Lauro Sigcha, reported that the first lady, Lavinia Valbonesi, recently visited rural parishes in Cuenca with gifts to convince residents that the mining project “will not harm them.”

The water defenders in Kimsakocha, who have received support from figures such as the president of the FUT, Edwin Bedoya, and Marlon Vargas, leader of the Conaie (National Institute of Water Resources), indicated that if there is no response from the Executive Branch, they will call for an indefinite uprising on September 26.

jdt/ro/avr