Loading ...Communities to decide Ecuador mining projects’ fate
Ecuador’s highest court has ruled that communities have the right to hold referendums on whether or not proposed large and medium-scale mines can move forward, but said the public can only vote on mining rights not yet granted and not on licensed projects.
The constitutional court’s decision follows a petition by the government of Cuenca, a city in the country’s highlands, to propose questions to a referendum seeking to ban mining near water sources.
It represents a victory for Cuenca, in the southern province of Azuay, which hosts several projects, including SolGold’s (LON, TSX:SOLG) Sharug project and Canada’s INV Metals’ (TSX-V: INV) Loma Larga gold-silver-copper project.
“It has been a dream for Cuencans for so many years to be allowed, through popular consultation, to determine the future protection of our water sources,” Cuenca Mayor Pedro Palacios told local media.
Participation in the referendum on mining will be mandatory, Palacios added.