AMPARO FRENA PROYECTO MINERO
Monday, August 28, 2006
Cotacahi, 24 de Agosto 2006 Hoy, el presidente de la comunidad de JUNIN, presentó un amparo constitucional para frenar la aprobación del Estudio de Impacto Ambiental de la empresa mineras Ascendant Copper Corporation, para el proyecto minero JUNIN. El amparo solicita que, debido a las irregularidades, y violaciones a la constituciòn y leyes nacionales, el juez prohíba al Ministerio de Energía y Minas aprobar el Estudio de Impacto Ambiental para la fase de exploración. Aparte de citar las violaciones a las leyes y constitución, el amparo señala las irregularidades e ilegalidades halladas por el Defensor del Pueblo, y la Comisión Cívica de Control de la Corrupción en sus informes publicados en Julio de este año. El proyecto minero de cobre amenaza a cientos de familias de no menos de cuatro comunidades, además de la Cordillera del Toisán, uno de los sitios más biodiversos del planeta cuyo bosques primarios albergan a decenas de especies en peligro de extincción, y que también protegen pristinos ríos y riachuelos. El amparo forma parte de una estrategia jurídica que recién se inicia a ejecutarse por parte de las comunidades y organizaciones que rechazan los planes mineros de esta empresa transnacional; resistencia que cuenta con el apoyo de los gobiernos locales de Intag, al igual que del gobierno Cantonal de Cotacachi. Para mayor informaciòn: www.decoin.org COMISIÒN DE PRENSA, DECOIN
ASCENDANT HIT WITH COURT INJUNCTION
Thursday, August 24, 2006
ASCENDANT COPPER CORPORATION HIT BY CONSTITUTIONAL INJUNCTION Cotacachi, 24 August 2006 (corrected 25/08) Today a Constitutional Injunction to stop Ascendant Copper Corporations Environmental Impact Study for the Junin Copper Mining Project from being approved by the Ministry of Energy and Mines was presented by Mr. Edmundo Lucero, president of the community of Junin. The injunction asks the court to immediately halt the process of preparation and/or approval of Ascendants Environmental Impact Study until such a time that the court can definitively rule on the numerous constitutional violations, as well as documented breaches of international covenants argued to have taken place during the process of developing of the Environmental Impact Study. The local court where the Injunction was accepted could immediately call on the Ministry of Energy and Mines to desist from authorizing the Environmental Impact Assessment until the court issues a definitive ruling. The law offices who helped prepare the injunction and who is also working on the multi-million dollar lawsuit against Texaco in Ecuador’s Amazon region, explained that once the legal process could take many months to finalize, in part due to the backup of cases facing the Constitutional Court, where it will undoubtedly end up. There will be several future legal cases aimed at putting an end to the mining project by using Ecuador's courts. What is at risk is not only some of the most biodiverse forest on Earth and pristine water resources, but also hundreds of families from at least four communities that would be forced to relocate if exploitation was approved. Investigations carried out as part of the preparation for the Environmental Impact Study confirmed the extraordinary biological diversity at risk by this mining project. Over 20 species of mammals, birds and amphibians on the list of threatened or endangered species, are listed as making their home in the forests found within the mining area. The list includes the plate-billed mountain toucan; jaguars, spectacled bears, the critically-endangered brown-headed spider Monkey; ocelot; anteaters, and six species of frogs and lizards; some extremely rare. A complete translation of the injunction will soon be available at Decoin’s web site: www.decoin.org For More Information please contact decoin@hoy.net For additional information please contact: Andre Germain, Friends of the Earth, (613) 241-0085 ext. 26 cell (613) 724-8690 Jamie Kneen, MiningWatch Canada, (613) 569-3439 Carlos Zorrilla, DECOIN, decoin@hoy.net Get the facts - view the film, "The Curse of Copper," at www.ascendantalert.ca
BASEBALL HATS AND BULLSHIT
Monday, August 14, 2006
Red Baseball Caps, Pens and Signatures: Socializing the EIA the Ascendant Way Anti-Corruption Commission and Ombudsman Come Down Hard on Ascendant The Army and Ascendant New Legal Obstacles for Ascendant 14 August During the past few weeks the company has been going through the motions of "socializing" what they consider to be the Environmental Impact Study for the Junin project. Just as well get the hoax over with as soon as possible, because, Ascendant's vision of socializing the EIA consists of campesinos, most having the equivalent of, at most, a fourth or fifth grade education, is seeing them wade through hundreds of pages of geological, biological, and archeological data, complete with flow charts, and hundreds of scientific names and sophisticated concepts, while sitting in a small office (we are told that in some cases bodyguards hover the participants to "help them" see the light). In one case a friend of mine went in to inspect the room ascendant had rented to show of their EIA, and someone came out to clean his handgun right in front of him. Another acquaintance tried unsuccessfully to have ascendant give him a copy of the document. After three tries, he gave up. Then again, there's been denunciations that many of the people signing as having read the EIA, are mostly Ascendant's workers and/or family members. What is expected of the people wanting to look at the document is that, after a brief scanning of the pages, the participants are expected to make observations and recommendations on the EIA, and sign a piece of paper saying they have studied it. Then, and only then, do the participants get their very own bright red had with Ascendant embroidered on it. Guess what percentage go in just for the hat? Meanwhile, everyone is waiting to see what the Ministry of Energy and Mines says in response to the petition put to him on the July 13th in Quito by Mayor Tituana and presidents of the Parish governments of Intag, when they and hundreds of Intag residents march to the doors of the Ministry of Energy and Mines. Ascendant and the Army. And, the more we uncover, the more dirt we find. The latest was confirmation that nearly two months ago, persons identifying themselves to be members belonging to the equivalent of the Army Corps of Engineers and who said they were in the Junin and Garcia Moreno area to see about a road construction contract between Ascendant and the Corps, turned out to be another lie. The Army Corps of Engineer, in a recent letter, said that they had not authorized anyone to go to the Intag area, and that they did not have any kind of contract with Ascendant, but were only in the conversation phase. They also said that one of the persons who was stopped in the Junin area by locals and who identified himself a member of the Army Corps of Engineers (and who was even carrying a special Army Corps of Engineering identification card) was not a member of the Corps. The letter went on to say that the Defense department was investigating this apparently indemnification theft. Some of these persons who, at the time they were in the Junin area and identified themselves as members of the Corps of Engineers, were involved in acts of aggression and intimidation against anti-mining community activists. This all happened at a time when DaimiServices and Ascendant employees were telling everyone that the Army was coming to build the mine and to fix all the roads in the area. AND...., we just got a hold of some damming new evidence pointing to new and more widespread illegalities related to this unwholesome relation. Ascendant's 2nd Semester Report.... yes, they did it- released their 2nd quarter report. A mong the interesting information: they've spent nearly 5.7 million dollars in the last seven months, and who knows how much more than that in the 26 months since Ascendant made its appearance in Intag, AND STILL HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO START EXPLORATORY ACTIVITIES IN THE JUNIN MINING CONCESSIONS. It's likely they won't get anywhere near exploring this, or any other year, since they are not only facing the wrath of local governments in Intag and Cotacachi County, new legal cases are being filed by local government officials, and community leaders, but also investigation by the nation's Ombudsman, as well as the Civic Commission for the Control of Corruption!!! Both of these institutions recently released damming reports on irregularities associated with the mining project, leading the Ombudsman to open an investigation and reporting that it found evidence of human-rights violations (then there is the rainy season that will soon be upon them,,,,,,,,,,) DECOIN
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