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 25th: “We will follow the law, but this decision of this lower court in Imbabura is subject to appeal, and we believe that the … Read More
Author: MRAG
Legal problems cast doubt on BHP’s future in Ecuador
A series of legal cases based on constitutional law have created doubts over BHP’s operations in Ecuador. These court cases highlight the risks for international mining companies who fail to familiarise themselves with their legal obligations under Ecuador’s constitution. Martin Daley, Rainforest Action Group (Melbourne) stated, “It is the fifth time in just over one … Read More
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 which the Action of Protection was discarded. They also forced the Ministry of Environment and Water to publicise the ruling and formally apologise to … Read More
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 killed an unknown number of people, with bodies reportedly hastily buried or dumped down mine shafts where the confrontation took place. A truck transporting local residents … Read More
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 consulted regarding the award of concessions in favour of mining companies. The consolidation of the extractivist model will contribute to increased violence towards affected communities, evidencing … Read More
Amazon community denied protection against Chinese Copper mine
Latest court ruling casts renewed doubts on Ecuador’s upholding of its constitutional process amid fresh protests of human rights violations at the country’s largest open-pit copper mine, Mirador. The Amazonian Social Action Community Cordillera del Cóndor Mirador (Cascomi) brought the case against the Ecuador Ministry of Mining, Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of the Interior, … Read More
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 essentially held by a thread, not dissimilar to that formed by the tiny splinters of gold that appear in … Read More
Gina Rinehart’s Mining Concession Problems in Ecuador
Hanrine Ecuadorian Exploration and Mining (HEEM), a subsidiary of Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting has been involved in a political minefield in Ecuador for the past year. In mid December 2018, hundreds of members of the Ecuadorian Military were trucked into the town of Buenos Aires, in the northern Imbabura Province in an attempt to curtail … Read More
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 that in one year of management he has moved away from the role for which he was … Read More
BHP Electric Car Greenwash
December 17, 2018 Melbourne Rainforest Action Group (MRAG) today released a report detailing the activities of BHP Billiton in South America. The report highlights the company’s poor environmental and social record in a number of locations. Of particular concern is that BHP is now promoting itself as being environmentally responsible by promoting the use of … Read More