Author: Carlos Zorrilla

Dear Codelco

To Codelco’s Directors Intag, 9 October 2014 Dear Codelco, After reviewing the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Llurimagua mining project, I got to wondering whether you know what you are getting into here in Ecuador, and if you had the slightest idea of the social conflicts and violence you could detonate if exploration starts. […]

Earth Day 2014- Sumak Kawsay, a New Conservation Force, or a Farce

I wrote this knowing a friend and activist from Junin is illegally being kept in jail for defending his land, his community, the unique environment of Intag’s Cloud Forest, and fundamental human rights.  The criminalization of the social protest here in Ecuador- most of it aimed at environmental protesters-  has taken a nasty turn lately, […]

Enami and Codelco want to revive the nightmare by September // Codelco y Enami quieren reactivar la pesadilla en Intag hasta Septiembre

Title of article from March 29 Wall Street Journal Ecuador Mining Project Expected to Begin This Year Codelco, Enami Plan to Start Exploration at Llurimagua Copper and Molybdenum Project by September So, the cat is out of the bag.  Codelco and Enami think they can begin exploration by September when they haven’t even started on […]

Tis time for a quick Update DECOIN expanded board meets All quiet on the mining front The final election results Yesterday (March 18th)  DECOIN’s expanded board met at Nangulvi to talk about the latest event, review our work, and set new goals. In all there were 21 of us from I think 10 or 15 […]

INTAG: GROTESQUE FABRICATION REVEALED / INTAG: DENUNCIA DE UN GROTESCO MONTAJE

Working in conservation in developing countries is always a challenge (maybe not only in developing countries).  However, little did I know that, in the middle of buying forests for communities (in 2013 over a thousand hectares), creating new community watershed reserves, working with community nurseries, expanding environmental education campaigns to hundreds of kids, reforesting new […]

¿Cuantas veces NO Enami-Codelco? How many times and how many ways NO Enami-Codelco?

Cuantas veces NO Enami-Codelco? El jueves 22 del presente, Enami intentó socializar su mal concebido  proyecto minero con un gremio de choferes de Intag en el Complejo Ecoturístico de Nangulví, el centro turístico más importante de la zona de Intag.    Dado que el Complejo es administrado por un grupo de comunidades dignas de la […]

Carnivore ‘teddy bear’ emerges from the mists of Ecuador

A new species of carnivore discovered in Ecuadorian Cloud Forests?? Enami-Codelco no logran apoyo en Intag Cloud forests are one of the ecosystems where new species are more likely to be found… but a mammal?  a carnivore?   Recently, right here in Intag,  a biologist working on an Environmental Impact Study for the paving of […]

Flash Update, 14 July 2014,, Actualización Flash 14-07-2013

Flash Update, July 14 2013  June of this year saw the reactivation of the Community Development Council, which was the leading community organization involved in confronting Ascendant Copper Corporation during the years 2004-2008 in the Junín area.  As then, the president is Polivio Perez, and the organization saw fit to create three vice presidencies led […]

Tweny-one Reasons Codelco Should Stay Away From Intag../ Veintiuna razones para que Codelco no se meta en Intag

Twenty-One Reasons Why (Nortec,  Ascendant Copper)   Codelco Should Keep Away from Intag After the communities kicked out Mitsubishi subsidiary, Bishimetals in 1997, mining has not gotten any easier for the companies.  Back when Nortec was showing interest in purchasing the shipwreck known as Ascendant Copper Corporation, I wrote the nineteen reasons to warn Nortec […]