Oil and gold mining: Indians defend the forest

Oil and gold mining: Indians defend the forest

During the last presidential elections in Ecuador, two questions were put to a referendum:

• At national level: Do you agree that the Ecuadorian government should keep ITT’s oil, known as Block 43, in the ground indefinitely?
• At regional level in Pichincha in the form of 4 questions: Do you agree with the ban on artisanal/small-scale/medium-scale/large-scale metal mining in the area of ecological, cultural and sustainable productive development importance formed by the territories of the parishes of Nono, Calacalí, Nanegal, Nanegalito, Gualea and Pacto, which make up the Commonwealth of Andean Chocó?

Each of these referendums saw the “Yes” vote win, demonstrating the determination of the populations concerned to conserve the environment rather than promote the exploitation of subsoil resources.