The Junin mining concession (Golden 1 and Golden 2), recently sold to Ascendant Exploration, is considered illegal, according to lawyers belonging to the human rights organization CDES – Centro de Derechos Economicos y Sociales, based in Quito.
This is based on the fact that the Constitutional Injunction presented by the Cotacachi Municipal government against the mining concession last year had not been legally resolved by the judges of the Constitutional Tribunal before the concession was sold to Ascendant Exploration.
A new legal injunction is currently being prepared by the Municipal government of Cotacachi to revoke the mining concession, and order a halt to further issuing of said concession. In addition, the community of Junin, with help from the Cotacachi Municipal government, DECOIN and CDES is preparing to present a case to the Interamerican Human Rights Commission in order to revoke the mining concession and force the Ecuadorian government to respect the community’s rights to be previously consulted regarding mining projects in their area, as guaranteed by article 88 of Ecuador’s constitution.
