Mining Conflict in Ecuador Heats Up
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Published in Upside Down World, an online magazine uncovering activism and politics in Latin America.Written by Cyril Mychalejko Wednesday, 21 December 2005 Excerpt:Dozens of Ecuadorians recently burnt down a building owned by Ascendant Copper Corporation to protest its mining activities in the area. The Canadian mining company claimed in a press release that the structure burnt down was a community health clinic located on an experimental farm, that supplies were stolen and that company employees were physically and verbally assaulted. "The company is outraged by this assault against company personnel and assets that were dedicated to the assistance of the local community," stated Gary Davis, Ascendant's President and CEO. But Defensa y Conservacion Ecologica de Intag (DECOIN), a local environmental group, rejected the company's claims in a statement on its website. "Somebody's making something up," said Jamie Kneen, a spokesperson for MiningWatch Canada. The Canadian mining industry's atrocious track record regarding honesty, transparency, and legality with its ventures in Latin America, suggests Ascendant is at fault. According to Kneen, who has been monitoring the mining conflict in Ecuador, this was the first that he has heard of Ascendant's "health clinic." In fact, this is the first time the company has mentioned its alleged clinic. Go to Article
International Human Rights Observer Report: The Events in Chalguayaco Bajo on Dec. 10, 2005
An eyewitness report by one of the International Observers of December 10, 2005.On December 10, 2005 I served as an international human rights observer in the community of Chalguayacu Bajo in the Intag Region of Ecuador. In light of the events of that day, in which a building owned by the Ascendant Mining Corporation was burned, as well as a series of discrepancies that have arisen in various news reports and press releases, I am writing to describe the occurrences of that day as I witnessed them. The events that I witnessed were as follows:At approximately 9 o'clock in the morning on December 10, 2005, I was present outside of a family home in Chalguayacu Bajo. At that time a series of truckloads of people began to arrive and gather and a considerable number of people also arrived on foot. By 9:45 a large group was gathered and a brief general assembly held, lasting approximately 15 minutes. During that assembly, a decision was made to take over the building and property located about 200 meters down the road from the site of the assembly; property owned by the Ascendant Mining Corporation. In addition, there were no objections to such action stated by any individual present during the meeting and thus the assembly came to a close. As the assembly adjourned, the group of people who had partaken walked the 200 meters to the Ascendant property. While walking, a number of individuals carried a large sign made from sheet-like material stating the communities' rejection of mining activities in the area and demanding the departure of the Ascendant Mining Corporation. When the group arrived a heavyset Ascendant employee approached. He appeared to have been working outside of the building, as he did not emerge from the building itself, but came walking up the driveway. The employee entered the porch area of the building at which point a conversation began between him and the members of the communities. The members of the communities explained that they were taking over the Ascendant property because they felt that their rights were being violated, and demanded that the Ascendant employees leave. The heavyset Ascendant employee expressed his disapproval. During their conversation, another Ascendant employee who was wearing a backwards baseball cap entered the porch area. The employee wearing the backwards hat approached to within a very close distance of one of the women standing on the porch area, such that their faces were approximately a foot apart and their bodies apparently in contact. The employee wearing the backwards hat then made what seemed to be some aggressive gestures and comments. At that point a small amount of pushing occurred and both employees were pushed out of the porch area and then walked off the property onto the road. Thus, the pushing seemed to be precipitated by the employee with the backwards hat and lasted for approximately 10 seconds. Neither employee was hurt in any way during this episode, and after the employees were off of the porch the pushing stopped and both left the grounds walking on their own accord. The two employees who were previously on the porch were then joined on the road outside the property by approximately seven other Ascendant employees. At that point an approximately 15 minute conversation ensued, during which varying members of the community spoke to the heavy set employee who stood with the other Ascendant employees. During the conversation the heavyset employee asked to reenter the building in order to retrieve a personal computer and other personal items. The members of the communities then allowed him to do so and I entered the building as well. The employee placed his computer in a bag in a room with a table and television on the wall. He then entered another room and took a few other personal belongings and exited. At that point the employees got into and on the back of a pickup truck and left. Following the departure of the employees, electric wiring was removed from the outside of the building. Subsequently the building was burned. As the building burned, the members of the communities returned to the site of the assembly. About an hour later, a member of the local police force arrived. The members of the communities explained the occurrences of that day and their desire for the departure of the mining company and then took the police officer to see the then burnt building. The police officer then departed. Roughly three hours later approximately 20 members of the Ecuadorian National Police arrived. They questioned a number of individuals and were also taken to the site of Ascendant's building. After approximately one hour they departed. Claims made in news reports and press releases:According to an article published by the Canadian Press on December 14th, Ascendant representatives stated that various articles were stolen from the Ascendant premises. An Ascendant press release from December 13th stated "medical supplies and equipment, including pharmaceuticals, farm communication equipment and personal property were stolen before the facilities were set ablaze." I did not witness one article being removed from the building. One individual of approximately 13 years in age wanted to remove a soccer ball but was told not to by community members. The remnants of the only article of great value that I saw, the aforementioned television, could be seen upon returning to the burnt building. In addition, the same Canadian Press article offered an Ascendant claim that the building served as a health clinic and as stated above, the Ascendant press release said that the building contained medical supplies and equipment. I saw no signs that the building was a health clinic. There was no medical equipment or facilities in view when I entered. The Canadian Press article also stated that the building served to give agricultural classes to community members. In regard to this claim as well, I saw nothing in the building indicating that it served for classes. There was a small plastic table and two or three chairs. There were no classroom-like materials such as a blackboard, notebooks, etc. Lastly, the Canadian Press article also claimed that the Ascendant employees were both physically and verbally assaulted. In addition, the Ascendant press release also stated that "the employees who were on the property were physically and verbally assaulted, but thankfully injuries were not serious." I did not witness any individual assaulted in any form. Furthermore, no individual was injured in any way.
Ascedant Goes After Campesinos: 21 Dec 2005
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Ascendant Going After Campesinos: December 21, 2005 I have in my hands a copy of the company's legal denouncement in which it asks District Attorney (Prosecutor) to initiate investigations of the events of Saturday the 10th. The document is signed by the company's legal representative (General Manager in Ecuador), Juan Carlos Bermeo. In the 2 1/2-page denouncement Mr. Bermeo never mentions that the building destroyed was a clinic. He only refers to it as an "inmueble"- a property. Please check out the following Ascendant Web page to see for yourselves the true nature of the building that was destroyed: http://www.miningwatch.ca/updir/OECD_I_ACC_community.pdf You will notice on this page a photo captioned as being taken in Junin. In fact this photograph is of their "model La Florida Farm" in Chalguayacu Bajo. This is just one example of the kind of lies the company has been spreading around. There is also no mention of a doctor's report proving any injuries were sustained by anyone. Mr. Bermeo only now asks the Attorney to authorize a medical check up of some of his workers, and claims they were manhandled and sustained "finger-nail wounds". Whatever that is. Mr. Bermeo identifies twenty-four people as suspects, all from communities adjacent to the mining site. In all he claims that a group of "about 150 people stormed the company's building without provocation" (not the 70 they earlier claimed). He also mentions that two foreigners where present and observed the events, and claims they were identified as being from our organization, DECOIN. I want to make clear that these two individuals are not members of DECOIN. They were there as part of the International Observers program; which is not a DECOIN project. This program has helped considerably reduce the level of violence that emerged as a direct consequence of Ascendant's presence in the area. Regarding the accusation that things like computers and medical supplies were stolen from the building, the people who were there are adamant about the fact that there was absolutely nothing stolen, and that this accusation, as all others in the document, is completely untrue. Carlos Zorrilla DECOIN
20 Campesinos in Intag to be Interrogated
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Sat. 17 Dec. Yesterda, Ascendant succeeded in asking Imabura's attorney general to start criminal investigation of the burning of their camp in Chalguayacu Bajo by serving notices in Intag to 12 people presumed to be present at the event. We'll give you all their names in the future, but from preliminary information, it includes all of the community leaders in the area- including some who were not even at the scene. Knowing how the court system operate in this country, and the endemic corruption, the propsects for the poor defendants is not very promising. Please keep tuned to see how you can help. Carlos
NEWS RELEASE: DESTRUCTION OF ASCENDANT COPPER CORPORATION'S CAMP
Thursday, December 15, 2005
 Due to the different versions going around regarding what happened in Chalguayacu Bajo, Cotacachi County, Ecuador, this past 10 of December 2005, in which the Ascendant mining camp was completely destroyed, we wish to let our point of view, based on the truth, be known. In the act more than 300 local people from approximately 20 communities from the Intag area participated; mostly the ones threatened and more likely to be affected. There were no thefts of company goods, nor was there any one hurt, as the company claims. The police report confirms our version. The decision to take this action, and for the communities to take control of the lands the company owns was taken in a democratic and participatory manner by all those present. If the company pays no heed to the clamor of the communities, these will be forced to take over other properties as the only defense mechanism. This measure takes place after nearly two years of the presence of this company in Intag, which has caused great division in the communities. The measure is also a legitimate response to the constant aggressions, and abuses by the company against local governments, organizations, and community leaders who have opposed the mining project; including: death threats, physical aggressions, road blockades, and intents at invasion of land belonging to the Junín community. The sinister land purchases by the company has been completely repudiated by our communities, and no government authority or institution has been able to put a stop to it. We reject the company's irresponsible version that says a clinic was destroyed, and the "communities are asking the company to rebuild it". This is another lie. The truth is that what was destroyed was the Ascendant mining camp where their employees frequently met to plan aggressions and intimidations against our communities. Presently, a real clinic is being built in Chalguayacu Bajo with state funds, as it should be. The communities next to the mining site, including La Armenia, Junín, Cerro Pelado, Barcelona, El Triunfo and Chalguayacu Bajo, have not asked the company to do anything except leave the Intag area once and for all. No one besides the group of people present is responsible for Saturday's action. We emphatically reject the absurd accusation that certain leaders of the DECOIN organization were responsible. We demand that: 1) The company immediately abandon our lands; 2) that it stops funding the false organization CODEGAM; 3) that it stops purchasing lands in Intag; and 4) that it bring to an end the persecution of community leaders and organizations. We take the opportunity to denounce to the press that the Ascendant Copper Corporation mining company will soon present its Environmental Impact Statement to the Ministry of Energy and Mines for its mining project, but that it has never gone into the mining area to undertake the studies, as the law calls for. Every time the company has tried to go into the area, it's been stopped. Our communities have never been consulted, and we insist that all the institutions of the State respect our constitutional rights, but specially the right to live in a healthy environment free of contamination; to be consulted, and of choosing the place of residence. WE DO NOT WANT MINING PRESS COMMITTEE; CONSEJO DE DESARROLLO COMUNITARIO (Community Development Council)
ACTION ALERT: Ask President Palacios to Reject the Junín Mining Project
Monday, December 12, 2005
Please email, fax and mail President Palacios by using our sample letter and writing your own thoughts about why you want him to reject Junín mining project and investigate the long-term implications to the forests of the Toisan Range, for the local communities, county of Cotacachi, and the area's natural resources, and to Ecuador. Sample letter Email address: piedad.flor@presidencia.gov.ecFax number: 593 2 258 0748 Mailing address: Doctor Alfredo Palacios Presidente Constitucional República del Ecuador Palacio Presidencial Plaza de la Independencia Quito, Ecuador
INTAG'S COMMUNITIES SAY ENOUGH!
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Communities in Intag Take Direct Measures Against Ascendant's Mining Facilities. Saturday, 10 December 2005 Over three hundred community members from approximately 20 communities in the Intag area of Ecuador gathered together at the village of Chalguayacu Bajo in a community Assembly, and voted unanimously to burn down the facilities belonging to Ascendant Copper Corporation, as a show of protest for the company's presence in the area. The decision was taken in a democratic and participatory manner in an Assembly organized by the Community Development Council to change the Council's board. NO ONE WAS HURT. In spite of the first distorted version of the event coming from company employees, no one was hurt, and company employees were allowed to take out valuables before the building was set on fire. However, later in the day 20 heavily armed policemen in bullet-proof vests arrived at the scene to investigate a report saying there had been four dead and six injured in the storming and torching of the building. They left after confirming the report was completely untrue. The facilities consisted of a building used in what was supposed to be a center for agricultural experiments in Ascendants self-described model farm, but which communities saw more as the company's base in Intag and as a permanent source of aggravation. CONFISCATION OF ASCENDANT LAND Besides the resolution calling for the destruction of the Ascendant infrastructure, the Assembly also decided unanimously for communities to start occupying land formerly belonging to the Ascendant Copper Corporation for distribution to landless people or those with little land. DECOIN does not condone violence. Yet, it is essential to understand at least part of the context that generated this reaction. The events of today come after 18 months of aggravated assaults, intimidations, death threats, lawsuits, road blockades, violent aggressions against the Cotacachi Municipal government, and many other measures carried out against anyone opposing the Ascendant Copper Corporation's Junín mining project. It comes after a horrible division of communities in Intag that did not exist here before Ascendant's presence. On countless occasions, the communities warned the company not to go into their communities, and to respect their decision to live in peace and free of mining. But it was all to no avail. The patience of the communities came to an end when they kept seeing the mining company buying land all around their communities. This action triggered a land invasion by traffickers wanting to sell the newly acquired land to the company at outrageously high prices, and resulted in the company owning thousands of hectares of land in the Intag area. Some of this illegally begotten land allegedly includes hundreds of hectares belonging to the Junín community reserve, which they've managed as a part of their community ecological tourism project since 1998. In some other cases, land titles were given on land already having owners who are opposed to the mining project. Unfortunately, this land-purchasing program has not stopped. This news was relayed to us by eye-witnesses at the site. No one from DECOIN was present in Chalguayacu Bajo. DECOIN Defensa y Conservación Ecológica de Intag www.decoin.org
Las Comunidades de Intag destruyen Instalaciones de Ascendant Copper Corporation
LAS COMUNIDADES DE INTAG DICEN: ¡YA BASTA! Comunidades reunidas en Asamblea destruyen infraestructura de Ascendant Copper Corporation 10 de Diciembre, 2005 Trescientos representantes y moradores de aproximadamente 20 comunidades de la zona de Intag y áreas aledañas reunidos en la comunidad de Chalguayacu Bajo tomaron la decisión de desmantelar las instalaciones de la empresa minera Ascendant Copper Corporation como medida de hecho para protestar la presencia de dicha empresa en las comunidades. La decisión fue tomada en una forma participativa y democrática, y fue respaldada por la gran mayoría de los presentes en la Asamblea, la cual fue organizada por el Consejo de Desarrollo Comunitario. NO HUBO HERIDOS A pesar de las versiones distorsionadas de empleados de la empresa, no hubo heridos en la toma e incendio del campamento, y empleados de la empresa se le permitió entrar y sacar objetos de valores antes de producirse el incendio. DESAPROPIO DE TIERRAS DE LA EMPRESA Aparte de la decisión tomada de destruir las instalaciones de la empresa, los asambleístas decidieron que toda propiedad perteneciente a la empresa minera sea ocupada por las comunidades y repartidas a personas sin tierras de las comunidades de Intag. La propiedad afectada sería la finca denominada La Florida de Chalguayacu Bajo, de aproximadamente 60 hectáreas, pero se sabe que la empresa adquirió más de mil hectáreas en los últimos meses. DECOIN no aprueba de actos violentos; durante los 11 años de vida de nuestra organización jamás hemos participado en medidas violentas, aunque hemos sido victimas de éstas como parte de nuestro trabajo en contra de la minería. Sin embargo, es indispensable conocer por lo menos una pequeña parte de los hechos que generaron esta reacción. Los eventos de hoy son producto de 18 meses de asaltos, intimidaciones, amenazas de muerte, cierres de carreteras, violentas agresiones contra el Municipio de Cotacachi, y muchos otras medidas efectuadas en contra de los opositores al proyecto minero Junín, de la empresa Ascendant Copper Corporation. La reacción también se debe a la horrorosa división en las comunidades de Intag que surgió a raíz de la presencia de Ascendant. En innumerables ocasiones las comunidades le advirtieron a la empresa a no ingresar a sus comunidades, y que respete su decisión de vivir en paz y libre de minería; todo, sin embargo, fue vano. Hoy pagó el precio de ese irrespeto. La paciencia de las comunidades también se agotó al ver que la empresa adquiría decenas de propiedades alrededor de Junín, Chalguayacu Alto y Cerro Pelado. Este hecho generó una agresiva invasión por traficantes de tierras que buscaban vender sus nuevas propiedades a la empresa a exorbitantes precios. Esto arrojó como resultado que, hasta la fecha, la empresa se haya adueñando de miles de hectáreas de tierras agrícolas y bosques nativos en la zona de Intag (la empresa tiene 9,900 hectáreas en concesiones mineras en la zona de Intag). Moradores de Junín aseguran que parte de las ilegales compras incluye cientos de hectáreas pertenecientes a la comunidad de Junín. Estas tierras forman parte de su reserva comunitaria, la cual ha sido manejada como parte del proyecto de turismo ecológico comunitario desde 1998. En otros casos, títulos de propiedad fueron otorgados donde ya existían títulos, perjudicando a opositores de la minería. La verdad es que son demasiados los atropellos para mencionarlos todos en este espacio. Si desea más información, vaya a nuestra página Web: www.decoin.org Y, ¿qué de las cortes? Lamentablemente, las comunidades no tienen la menor confianza en lo que debe ser uno de los sistemas judiciales más corruptos del planeta. En varias ocasiones han utilizado el sistema judicial, y han aprendido que esta altamente sesgado para favorecer a intereses poderosos. La presente comunicación no pretende justificar las medidas tomadas por las comunidades el día de hoy. Pero, si pretende juzgar la actuación de las comunidades, por favor hágalo tomando en cuenta lo expuesto. DECOIN www.decoin.org
Update Friday 9 December
Friday, December 09, 2005
Saturday, 9 december- Report from Junín today : two police showed up at the community road block to investigate a confrontation that took place earlier in the week when two ministry of the environment officials tried to go into community reserve with a known land trafficker. The police were driven in a Ascendant Copper Corporation vehicle. During the short peaceful confrontation, the community prohibited the parties from accessing the land for fear the trafficker was trying to illegally acquire more land to sell to the mining company. No one was hurt, but the vehicle and its occupants were forced to return. The police also returned today without any incident. Carlos
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