A Brief History of Mining in the Junin area
BRIEF HISTORY ON THE PRESENCE OF MINING COMPANIES IN JUNÍN ECUADOR From the early nineties, mining exploration has taken place in the Junín area of Intag. Bishimetals, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi, discovered large deposits of copper and other minerals in the biodiverse Toisan Range, as part of the Junin-Cuellaje project, financed by the Japanese International […]
Read MoreJUNIN MINING CONCESSION DEEMED ILLEGAL
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 […]
Read MoreUrgent Funding Request
As you know, we are confronting a new mining company (Ascendant Exploration) in the Junin area that is investing a lot of money in convincing people that mining really is what everyone needs. They are literally investing money in “people”, outright buying them, offering high paying jobs, clinics, roads; well, you know the story (even […]
Read MoreBackground Information and an Update on Recent Developments
Junin representatives officially presented a claim to the People’s Defender in Quito on 27th of May against Ascendant Exploration mining company, and took the first firm steps to present their case to the Interamerican Human Rights Commission by contacting the legal organization who will be representing them. The following day representatives from Junin, Decoin, and […]
Read MoreUpdate from Junin
22 May 6:30 pm Word just in from Junin: A newly formed women’s group in Junin decided to go and confront the miners, who were cleaning up the old abandoned mining camp (site of the Mitsubishi bonfire) , and asked the miners to leave. The miners left!!!, but we don’t have any details on what […]
Read MoreEMPRESA MINERA EN JUNÍN-ECUADOR
Se crea el Consejo de Desarrollo Comunitario para enfrentar la nueva amenaza minera e impulsar el desarrollo comunitario, y Junín decide a favor de enjuiciar el estado ecuatoriano. El día 15 de mayo del año en curso, y 7 años después del incendio del campamento minero de una subsidiaria de la Mitsubishi Corporation el cual […]
Read MoreEMERGENCY IN JUNIN
We’ve been without a phone since right after sending the last news update – the only bad line in our neighborhood. Some bad news: this morning I found out the miners went back to Junin without asking permission or holding a regional forum on mining; the Brigadier General, we are told, has come back with […]
Read MoreNEW MINING THREAT IN INTAG
The Community Development Council is created in the Junin area to confront the new mining threat and to support community development, and Junin decides to sue the Ecuadorian government. (updated 28 May) Dear friends, This past Sunday (May 16th) I came back from a two day trip to Junin with some good, but also some […]
Read MoreTroubling Developments
I just finished talking to Roberto Castro, our principal employee and Decoin member, who, on his latest trip to Otavalo, told me someone on the bus talked out loud almost the whole way about the wonders of mining, and about the bad work of the “few persons” who oppose progress, and who are keeping inteños […]
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