Today, the community of Junin elected a new community council. The council is made up of some of the community’s most committed anti-mining activists.
Edmundo Lucero, the new president, pledge to continue resisting the mining project at all cost. The rest of the democractically: Mercy Torres Secretary; Leonidas Leon, Treasurer, and Vice President.
At the town meeting, the president of the García Moreno Parish government, Gisela Morales, spoke eloquently about her commitment to respecting the will of the Junin community to say no to mining. García Moreno is the Parish Junin forms part of. She also said she would never betray those who put her in power – referring to the massive anti-mining vote that swept her and her party into power in García Moreno October 2004. García Moreno was only one of 5 Parish governments in the Intag area whose anti-mining candidates won impressive victories over pro-mining candidates.
Ms. Morales went out of her way to say that she has not made any deals or entered into any agreement with Ascendant Copper Corporation, and mentioned that she would never do such a thing. “It’s up to the people of Junin to decide, not us”, she was reported to have said when questioned about her position on the mining project.
