News, articles and analysis by the Rainforest Action Group on the ongoing resistance to mining in Ecuador.
Report shows Solgold’s Proposed Cascabel Mine in Ecuador will cause Untold Environmental Harm
New study shows Solgold\'s proposed Cascabel mine in Ecuador will cause untold environmental harm Mining expert Steven H Emerman recommends Solgold abandon Cascabel project and regulatory agencies
October 12, 2024
Hancock Prospecting in Ecuador: Seven years of reported violations
In 2016-17, Ecuador put a third of its land mass up for sale to mining companies. They came from all over the world eager to explore for copper, gold and other metals, including several Australian
May 19, 2024
New report on SolGold backer Jiangxi
Rainforest Action Group launches its new report today on Jiangxi Copper, the Chinese mining company which invested $36 million US into SolGold in December Only weeks after Canada ordered three
February 23, 2023
Intag says no to mining
On September 12, members of Intag\'s local government and organisations sent a letter to the CEOS of BHP, Cornerstone Capital Resources, Codelco and Sunstone Metals, stating that unconsulted mining
September 24, 2021
Sanctuary for life in Ecuador
A Constitutional Protection Action could protect the Rights of Nature over the economic rights of transnational companies in Ecuador\'s Intag Valley. Originally published in The Ecologist by Rebekah
September 25, 2020
Australian mining companies plunder Ecuador’s gold and copper
First published in Green Left by Anthony Amis In 2008, Ecuador was the first country in the world to enshrine the rights of nature in its constitution. But, as Anthony Amis reports, international
August 28, 2020
Mining at Llurimagua – a social and environmental catastrophe
Selling the World a Social and Environmental Catastrophe: Ecuador’s Llurimagua Mining Project By Carlos Zorilla The government of Ecuador has been busy trying sell its share of the troubled
August 5, 2020
Gold, Guns and Gina Rinehart’s mining concessions in Ecuador
Carlos De Miguel III, the General Manager of Hanrine Ecuadorian Excploration and Mining SA, a subsidiary of Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting, was apprehended by police for an alleged illegal
August 1, 2020
Elected local officials threatened with jail for opposing mining
(MiningWatchCanada, Ottawa) The elected President and Vice President of a rural municipality in northwestern Ecuador have been threatened with criminal, administrative, and constitutional charges if
June 5, 2020
Shuar people facing COVID-19 crisis due to mining company
Canadian mining company Solaris Resources has been criticised by multiple organisations for its irresponsible conduct in sending seven members of the Shuar communities of Warints and Yawi to the
May 3, 2020
HPPL offer for Llurimagua
Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd. (HPPL) put in an offer in 2017 to buy ENAMI stake in the Llurimagua project in northern Ecuador, according to Via Minera. Full article here (in Spanish) with explosive
April 28, 2020
Australian company offer for controversial Llurimagua project
A major Australian company has reportedly put in a US$420 million offer for the controversial Codelco-ENAMI Llurimagua project in the Intag region of Ecuador according to mineral expert lawyer.
April 14, 2020
Cornerstone Resources illegally exploring at Rio Magdalena?
Cornerstone Capital Resources announces high potential Porphery targets at Espejo and Rio Magdalena, but fails to mention that Rio Magdalena is subject to a stop work order issued by the Provincial
February 29, 2020
BHP’s divide and conquer
First published in The Ecologist By Liz Downes 21st February 2020 BHP is putting pressure on vulnerable ecosystems and communities in a mega-biodiverse region of Ecuador despite flaunting its
February 29, 2020
Timeline of BHP’s divide-and-conquer tactics in Intag, Ecuador
Tensions are escalating quickly as BHP aggressively pushes into communities in the farming and rainforest region of Intag, Ecuador, in their efforts to begin gold and copper explorations on.
January 29, 2020
BHP AGM 7 November 2019
BHP held their 2019 AGM in Sydney on November 7. A small, peaceful protest was held outside by climate groups wanting to draw public focus to the debate around BHP leaving the Minerals Council. Two
November 17, 2019
Investor risk alert for Cascabel
Cascabel is an investor nightmare. Located in close proximity to the Colombian/Ecuadorian border, in an area the Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) advises not to travel
November 11, 2019
SolGold AGM 20 September
Members of the Rainforest Action Group attempted to raise their concerns about investing in Ecuador at the SolGold AGM in September 2019 as we believe SolGold has not been transparent with
October 12, 2019
Environmental concerns at Cascabel
The Cascabel concession is part of the Mira River basin, and is surrounded by mature primary and secondary forests that house endangered species, and protect pristine microbasins. Our primary
August 25, 2019
Cornerstone and ENAMI violating court ruling?
This blatant violation of the law is in keeping with statements by Cornerstone Capital Resources CEO Brooke Macdonald when he stated at the recent shareholder meeting in Toronto, Canada on June:
July 12, 2019
Los Cedros court win
The judges in the provincial court of Imbabura ruled that there had been a violation of mining-impacted communities\' right to be consulted, and revoked the previous sentence of November 2018 in
June 25, 2019
Mafia gunfight over Rinehart concession
At least 19 people were injured in a twelve-hour shoot-out between rival organised crime gangs in Hanrine\'s lucrative gold mining concession in northwestern Ecuador. The gunfight near Buenos Aires
June 25, 2019
New mining policy
\"This constitutes a deepening of extractive policy in Ecuador and a violation of individual and collective civil rights, especially the right to previous consultation, as communities have not been
May 21, 2019
Illegal mining in Imbabura
First published in LA HORA, 26 March 2018 The risk of an epidemic in the mountain known as El Lomón, El Triunfo community, Buenos Aires parish, Urcuquí canton, is high. The lives of the miners are
January 10, 2019
The neoliberal agenda in Ecuador
The richest and most powerful in Ecuador do not like to pay taxes. That is why now, after 10 years, the elites have a new ally: Lenín Moreno. His submission to the pressures of big capital has meant
January 2, 2019
Direct actions at IMARC
Environmental groups and human-rights defenders argued against the increase in global development, particularly against mining in protested forests and on Indigenous land. The Melbourne Rainforest
November 3, 2018
Mega-mining in Ecuador: the dream of a naive milkmaid
The fable tells the story of a milkmaid on her way to market carrying a pitcher full of milk on her head. On the way, she was thinking about what she would do with all the money she would receive
August 3, 2018
Australian mining under the spotlight
Quite apart from the ecological impacts of mining in forested areas, mining has significant environmental impacts, including long term contamination of soil and water sources, formation of,
June 2, 2018
Mining Concessions in Ecuador
Many of the mining concessions being handed out in Ecuador are within protected forests and indigenous reserves in outright violation of Ecuador\'s Constitution. No prior consultation occurred with
May 30, 2018
Clashes at controversial Ecuadorian mine – Rio Blanco
Heated clashes occurred between community members and security forces at Ecuagold\'s Chinese owned Río Blanco mine this past week, with several arrests being made and reports that 3 leaders of the
May 26, 2018