A delegation from the Junin area was set to travel to Imbabura’s capital, Ibarra, to pressure the provincial government to start working on the road, which the miners had offered to work on in exchange for the communities supporting the mining project (mostly rehabilitation work) Well, yesterday, 18 people showed up from the communities of Junin, Chalguyacu Alto, Chalguyacu Bajo and La Armenia, and got what they wanted!
The provincial government officially promised to send the road equipment (a caterpillar, road-grader and a backhoe), in agreement with the Municipality of Cotacachi, who will pitch in with three dump trucks.
Since there was no funds to pay for the diesel, DECOIN’s delegate at the meeting offered to cover the diesel costs.
The machinery goes to Junin this coming Tuesday!!!
While they waited to speak to officials, a local newspaper and TV station came and reported on the happening. The main person interviewed was Polibio Pérez, from the Community Development Council, and it made paper today and the TV yesterday! Cool, no?
Another strike against Ascendant. A pretty good one.
Oh, we also heard at the meeting that General Villacís had been to visit the provincial government to try to pressure them to keep out of Junin: the head guy there told him in no uncertain way that no mining would take place in Junin and that he totally supported the communities against mining, and that he thought they would run into grave danger if they tried to mine in Junin!!
Sorry Dorothy, this is not Toronto!
Carlos
