BAN TO OPEN PIT MINING SOUGHT IN ECUADOR
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Espanol tan pronto pueda.... http://www.reuters.com/article/companyNewsAndPR/idUSN2219295420070822 PDATE 1- Ecuador wants mining reforms via assembly Wed Aug 22, 2007 6:38PM EDT Email | Print | Digg | Reprints | Single Page | Recommend (0) [-] Text [+] Featured Broker sponsored link Power. Price. Service. No Compromises.(Adds deputy mining minister and Acosta comments, byline) By Alonso Soto QUITO, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Ecuador's President Rafael Correa wants an upcoming special assembly on rewriting the constitution to forbid open pit mining and to prevent drilling in biologically rich areas, said the government's top candidate for the body. Alberto Acosta, Correa's pick to lead the campaign to win a majority in the Sept. 30 vote for assembly seats, said reforms are needed to protect the country's ecology from the nascent mining industry. "Ideally, I would prefer to stop all large-scale mining," Acosta, a former energy and mines minister who quit to run for the assembly, told Reuters. "But at least by stopping open pit mining, we can protect our natural wealth." Acosta, who during his six-month stint in the ministry had an aggressive stance against mining, said he would push for all mining in Ecuador "to be be underground." Deputy Mining Minister Jose Serrano in later comments said the proposals for mining reforms are still under discussion. He said the government was consulting with environmentalists, communities and mining companies for a final package of reforms. "The president orders are to continue with the dialogue so we can have reforms in which we all agree on," Serrano told Reuters. Serrano, who in July replaced an environmentalist in the job, has started a review of concessions in the southern province of Azuay amid calls from environmentalists and local communities to cancel concessions. Correa, a former economy minister promising broad reforms to curb traditional parties, has put his political future on the line and vowed to quit if his supporters fail to clinch a majority in the assembly to overhaul the constitution. The leftist president's chances of securing a majority are slim as experts warn that the proportional method for assigning seats could lead to a fragmented 130-member assembly. Acosta said he plans amendments to forbid any mining in areas close to water sources and where local communities prohibit extraction of precious metals. "We will set a criteria to review mining concessions... and take back some of them," Acosta said without giving any more details. "We will also talk about introducing royalties." Ecuador lacks significant production of precious metals, but Canadian companies such as Corriente Resources (CTQ.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) (ETQ.A: Quote, Profile, Research), Iamgold Corp (IMG.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) and Aurelian Resources Resources Inc (ARU.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) are exploring for gold and copper. Mining companies don't pay royalties to the government, but instead an annual concession ownership fee. Environmentalists and villagers have clashed with miners to demand the government take back mining concessions they say damage local communities. © Reuters 2007. All rights reserved.
Human Rights Organization on Ascendant’s Abuses/ Cedhu: Persecución de líderes en Intag
Saturday, August 25, 2007
ESPAÑOL ABAJO Human Rights Organization on Ascendant’s Abuses www.cedhu.org Ecumenical Human Rights Commission- CEDHU- Leaders in Intag Singled Out for Persecution and Intimidation Quito, Agosto 23 2007 For Intag’s leaders, the opposition to the activities of the transnational Ascendant Copper has meant grim persecution characterized by a series of intimidation of increasing violence. Ascendant Copper manages the Junín project, made up of the Golden 1, Golden 2 and the Magdalena concessions, located in Intag. Due to the measures the company has implemented out to establish itself in the area and carry out its plans for exploration, the majority of the locals do not welcome the presence of Ascendant Copper. Intag is located in the Toisan Range, an area of rivers and rich in biodiversity. In the beginning, rent-seeking, creation of parallel community organizations, agreements signed with certain leaders by which money was offered as an exchange to allow access by company personnel to the area, were the strategies that Ascendant used to divide the communities. As the opposition to mining grew, death threats issued against leaders of Intag communities coming from employees and people close to the company started being reported (CEDHU has received at least 5 denunciations), in addition to constant judicial persecution against townspeople and leaders. Between 2004 and 2006 13 denunciations (charges) were presented to the Public Prosecutor’s office in Ibarra by local residents, and by one of the officers of Ascendant Copper Corporation. The denunciations are for alleged robbery, intimidation, and assault. The majority of the cases have been dismissed. Intag’s radio and newspaper, which have served as instruments to help the organization and community participation to better confront the conflict created by the mining company, has also suffered persecution. The Intag paper confronted a criminal case in 2004 for libel- the case was rejected because it was demonstrated that the charges were baseless. During a planned operative to go into Junin in December of 2006 by armed employees of Falericorp (which had signed a contract with Ascendant Copper) the fence protecting the radio’s installations as well as approximately 5 meters of antennas were destroyed at Radio Intag, thereby impeding regular broadcasting by the radio station. The cases of the leaders, Carlos Zorrilla, Polibio Pérez and the recent assault and robbery perpetrated against José Cueva y Héctor Flores makes us fear for the security and integrity of Intag’s population, which is carrying out a rightful opposition to mining activities, and which has caused so many abuses Carlos Zorrilla, founding member of DECOIN (Defensa y Conservación Ecológica de Intag), a community organization that supports communities’ resistance to the mining activities of Ascendant Copper, was victim of a false, illegal and arbitrary judicial process. In July of 2006, during a protest by Intag residents in Quito, Leslie Brooke Chaplin, who had infiltrated the protest and distributed flyers in favor of mining and against DECOIN, accused Carlos Zorrilla of robbery and aggravated assault. In October, Carlos Zorrilla’s home is raided by police transported in company cars. In this operative, the police suspiciously make appear a gun and a package supposedly containing drugs, which they take for evidence. On this date, his family finds out of the existence of two other criminal charges against the leader, as well as an arrest warrant. Carlos Zorrilla was never notified of the charges, in which an attempt was also made to implicate 6 other leaders. In November, the court case is initiated against Carlos Zorrilla for illegal possession of a firearm, and the case taken to Imbabura Province where, in March of 2007, the Public Prosecutor dismissed the case against Carlos Zorrilla. The arrest warrant was revoked for lack of sufficient evidence. Polibio Pérez. The company has initiated several lawsuits against him, and has experienced constant threats. The last one took place on the main square of Garcia Moreno (Intag), on Tuesday, 31 July 2007, when a crowd of 30 persons, led by employees of the Canadian mining company Ascendant Coppper Corporation, tried to lynch him. On not being successful at their objective, they threw Mr. Pérez’s motorcycle down a cliff. Jose Cueva, a young environmental leader from Intag who is promoting productive alternatives to mining was victim of an unusual crime in Cotacachi on the 13th of August of 2007. Around 9 pm while he was visiting the home of environmentalist friends and accompanied by his young son, five heavily-armed individuals violently forced their way into the home and, after beating them up, tied and robbed them of all their belongings- including portable computers and Jose Cueva’s car. They were able to free themselves around 3 AM and denounced the assault to the police. Placed within the abovementioned context, this incident further demonstrates the danger that those who are opposed to mining in Intag are exposed to. It is urgent that the State adopt all the necessary measures to guarantee the peace, security and genuine respect of human rights of Intag’s population as well as that of other communities which are defending their right to live free of mining. Mining companies in Ecuador have generated severe incidents of violence in the communities of Imbabura, Morona Santiago and Zamora Chinchipe, which, through strategies meant to divide the local population, and implemented by armed groups and even the armed forces, are creating a climate of violence in the country. Hna. Elsie Monge Executive Director Comisión Ecuménica de Derechos Humanos CEDHU (Ecumenincal Human Rights Commission) From: Noticias CEDHU <cedhu@cedhu.org>
Date: Aug 23, 2007 4:46 PM
Subject: LIDERES DE INTAG EN LA MIRA DE LA PERSECUCION Y EL AMEDRENTAMIENTO. CEDHU
WWW.cedhu.org
Comision Ecumenica de Derechos Humanos –CEDHU- LIDERES DE INTAG EN LA MIRA DE LA PERSECUCION Y EL AMEDRENTAMIENTO Quito, 23 de agosto de 2007 La oposicion a la actividad de la transnacional minera Ascendant Copper en Intag, ha significado para los lideres de esta zona una verdadera persecucion caracterizada por una serie de actos intimidatorios cada vez mas violentos. Ascendant Copper maneja el proyecto Junin, compuesto por las concesiones mineras Golden 1, Golden 2 y Magdalena, en Intag. La presencia de Ascendant Copper no es grata para la mayoria de la poblacion por las practicas de la empresa para establecerse en la zona y dar paso a sus actividades de exploracion de cobre. Intag esta ubicada en la cordillera del Toisan, zona de rios y abundante biodiversidad. En un principio el clientelismo, la creacion de organizaciones paralelas a las de la comunidad, convenios firmados con ciertos lideres por los cuales se ofrecia la entrega de dinero a cambio de facilitar el ingreso del personal de la empresa, fueron las estrategias de Ascendant que provoco la division interna en las comunidades. A medida que la oposicion a la mineria fue creciendo, aparecieron las amenazas de muerte de empleados y allegados de Ascendant contra lideres comunitarios de Intag (existen al menos 5 denuncias en la CEDHU) y una constante persecucion judicial contra pobladores y dirigentes. Desde el año 2004 hasta el 2006 se registraron en la Fiscalia de Ibarra 13 denuncias contra pobladores de Intag hechas por empleados e incluso uno de los gerentes de la empresa Ascendant Copper. Las denuncias son por supuesto robo, lesiones, intimidacion y la mayoria de ellas han sido sobreseidas. La radio y el periodico Intag que han servido como mecanismos para articular la organizacion y la participacion de las comunidades frente al conflicto propiciado por la minera, tambien han sufrido persecucion. El periodico Intag enfrento desde el 2004 un proceso penal por injurias calumniosas, el caso fue archivado porque se demostro que la denuncia era infundada. Mientras se ejecutaba un planificado ingreso a Junin en diciembre de 2006, de hombres armados de la empresa Falericorp, que habia firmado un convenio con Ascendant Copper, Radio Intag sufrio un atentado, fue destruida la cerca que protege las instalaciones de la radio comunitaria, y fueron rotos aproximadamente 5 metros de antena, lo que impidio la transmision regular de la emisora. Los casos de los lideres Carlos Zorrilla, Polibio Perez y el último asalto y robo contra Jose Cueva y Hector Flores hacen temer por la seguridad y la integridad de la poblacion de Intag que lleva una legitima oposicion a la actividad minera que tantos atropellos ha provocado. Carlos Zorrilla, miembro fundador de DECOIN (Defensa y Conservacion Ecologica de Intag), organizacion poblacional que apoya a las comunidades de Intag en su proceso de resistencia frente a las actividades mineras de la Ascendant Copper, fue objeto de un procedimiento falso, ilegitimo y arbitrario. Durante el año 2006 en julio Leslie Brooke Chaplin, infiltrada que repartio volantes a favor de la mineria y en contra de Decoin en una movilizacion de pobladores de Intag en Quito, pone una acusacion contra Carlos Zorrilla por supuesto robo y lesiones. En octubre se realiza un allanamiento a la vivienda de Carlos Zorrilla, los policias llegaron en autos de la empresa Ascendant Copper, en este operativo los policias hacen aparecer en la vivienda un arma y un paquete que contenia supuestamente droga y esto es llevado como evidencia. Este dia su familia conoce que existen estos dos procesos contra el lider y lo que es mas una orden de prision. Carlos Zorrilla nunca fue notificado de los procesos, en el que se intento involucrar a 6 lideres mas. En noviembre se abre una instruccion fiscal contra Carlos Zorrila por tenencia ilegal de arma, el proceso fue llevado a Imbabura donde, en marzo de 2007, el Fiscal se abstuvo de acusar a Zorrilla. La orden de prision fue revocada por no existir elementos suficientes en su contra. Polibio Perez, la empresa ha puesto varios juicios en su contra y ha sufrido constantes amenazas. La última sucedio el martes 31 de julio de 2007, en la Plaza de la parroquia de Garcia Moreno, Intag, un grupo de 30 personas liderado por empleados de la empresa minera canadiense Ascendant Copper intentaron lincharlo. La muchedumbre de personas al no poder conseguir su objetivo, arrojaron la motocicleta del señor Perez a un barranco. Jose Cueva, joven lider ecologista de Intag que promueve actividades productivas como alternativas a la mineria fue objeto de un delito poco común en Cotacachi, el 13 de agosto de 2007. Mientras se encontraba en la casa de unos amigos tambien ecologistas, a las 21:00, 5 sujetos fuertemente armados entraron por la fuerza a la vivienda y luego de agredirlos fisicamente los ataron de pies y manos y se llevaron todas sus pertenencias, incluyendo computadores portatiles y el vehiculo de Jose Cueva, con ellos se encontraba su pequeño hijo. A las 03:00 lograron desatarse y acudieron a la Policia para hacer la denuncias respectiva. Este hecho en el contexto que se describe anteriormente no puede sino evidenciar el peligro al que estan expuestos quienes se oponen a la mineria en Intag. Es urgente que el Estado adopte todas las medidas necesarias para garantizar la paz, la seguridad en todos sus ambitos y el respeto fiel a los derechos humanos en la poblacion de Intag y otras comunidades que en todo el pais se encuentran defendiendo su derecho a vivir libres de la mineria. Las empresas mineras en el Ecuador han desatado graves episodios de violencia en comunidades de Imbabura, Morona Santiago y Zamora Chinchipe que, a traves de mecanismos de division de los pobladores, grupos armados o hasta miembros de la Fuerza Pública, estan sembrando violencia en el pais. Hna. Elsie Monge Directora Ejecutiva Comision Ecumenica de Derechos Humanos CEDHU EM/PP
EM/PP original at: www.cedhu.org
ANTI-MINING ACTIVIST NEARLY LYNCHED BY "Ex MINING COMPANY WORKERS"
Monday, August 06, 2007
Anti Mining Activist Almost Lynched On Tuesday, 31 of July, Polivio Pérez, president of the anti-mining Community Development Council, was nearly lynched in the town center of García Moreno by a crowd that, according to the police report DECOIN was able to obtain, was composed in part by ex "mining company employees". Polivio reported that he was beaten by sticks, kicked and hit with rocks before the police intervened and put him in a police patrol car and took him to safety. Polivio's motorcycle was, according to the police report, thrown over a precipice and pelted with stones, causing major damage. The crowd was taking its anger out on Mr. Perez for the actions of the government which prohibited the company from carrying out its so-called community relations work. The latest prohibition (late july), included the closing down of the company's redundant "clinic" in Garcia Moreno. Interestingly enough, the Municipal government has maintained a fully equipped clinic in this town for years. The company has been accused on numerous occasions of using its version of community relations work to divide the communities and exacerbating the conflicts in Intag. On Thursday of the same week (2 August), two anti-mining activist were beaten up by another crowd of pro-miners, some of them reportedly were also Ascendant workers, in the nearby community of Barcelona. The anti-mining activists were taken to a health center in the town of Apuela the following day for medical examinations. This comes after the recent death threats against Mr. Pérez and the assault of a young anti-mining activist mother earlier in the month, which led Amnesty to issue a worlwide alert denouncing these threats and abuses anti-mining activsts are facing in Intag. As a consequence of this violence, people opposed to the mining project are saying that there is a climate of terror in Intag that was not here before Ascendant Copper Corporation came to town. El 31 de Julio, Polibio Perez, activista anti-minero y presidente del Consejo de Desarrollo Comunitario fue casi linchado por una turba de gente en García Moreno que estaba compuesta, segun el informe policial, por " personas que trabajaban por la empresa minera". Polibio fue rescatado por la policía justo a tiempo, pero su moto fue tirada a un barranco y apedrada. Sin embargo, el Sr. Perez reportó que fue agredido no solo verbalmente, sino también fue golpeado y apedrado, pero la acción policial le salvó de mayores problemas y posiblemente la vida. Polivio también reportó que habían por lo menos dos mujeres con cuchillos, y otra teniendo un recipiente de gasolina, que pretendían usar para quemar al Sr. Perez. La gente supuestamente reclamaba la pérdida de trabajo debido a las últimas prohibiciones proveniente del Ministerio de Minas y Petróleo, que le suspendía toda actividad a la empresa. Dos días más tarde, dos otras personas identificadas como activistas que se oponen a la minería en Intag fueron agredidos físicamente por el sector de Barcelona por personas identificadas como seguidores o empleados de la empresa minera. Nation's Anti-Corruption Commission Calls for Ascendant's Properties to Revert Back to the State On Monday, July 23, Ecuador's Civic Anti Corruption Commission announced in a news release, that it had found evidence of illegalities concerning the transfer of ownership in 18 of Ascendant's land titles in the Intag mining area (JUNIN mining project). The Commission is soliciting the Public Ministry to open an investigation into the case and asking the government to take back the land based on infractions to the law. DECOIN has in the past denounced the irregular land trafficking sparked by Ascendant´s aggressive land purchasing. The Anti-Corruption Commission pointed out that the owners sold their land to Ascendant for 40-50 times the price they paid the INDA (Agrarian Development Institute). These lands, by law, are reserved strictly for agricultural uses.The Commission is asking the nation's Agricultural Ministry to head the investigations to assure the land reverts back to the nation. NEW
ILLEGAL INCURSION ( 26 July 2007)DECOIN got a call very early this morning (12:30 am), denouncing that the company was trying to go in with about 40 employees through the Villaflora community (about 40 minutes before Barcelona). According to community eyewitnesses, there were at least two Ascendant Copper community relations personnel with the crowd. Amazingly enough, the few people who were there stopped the cars and told them that if they wanted to go into their lands, they'd have to show proof the papers are in order and not to do so in the middle of the night like thieves. It worked. They turned around and are supposedly returning this morning (26-07). In the meantime, and in order to avoid another violent confrontation, members of the opposition to the mine denounced the illegal activity to the Governor and other government authorities, who offered to come to Intag early this morning with more police and the copies of the stop-work orders. NUEVO INTENTO DE INCURSIÓN (26 de julio de 2007) Aproximadamente a la media noche del día jueves 25 de julio, recibimos una denuncia de la comunidad de Villaflora que alrededor de 40 empleados de la empresa minera Ascendant Copper intentaron ingresar a la zona de Barcelona-Cerro Pelado transportados en 5 carros de dicha empresa. Las y los moradores del caserío pacíficamente le detuvieron los vehículos con la finalidad de pedirles la documentación que sustentara este nuevo agresivo y oscuro intento de ingreso. Según voceros de la comunidad, la invasión era liderada por lo menos por dos empleados de la empresa, incluyendo a Janeth Sandoval. Los comuneros se negaron a darles el paso y le cuestionaron y compararon la entrada al estilo de ladrones, y exigieron que la documentación este el orden, y que si iban a entrar que debería ser a pleno luz del día. Según la denuncia, la empresa dijo que regresaría a las 8:30 de la mañana- pero no lo hizo. Con la finalidad de evitar un enfrentamiento violento, miembros de la oposición al proyecto minero de Ascendant denunciaron a la gobernación de Imbabura esta nueva e ilegal maniobra de la empresa, y la Gobiernación, envió a un delegado y refuerzo policial. A pesar de haber neutralizado esta incursión, en los siguientes dos días, empleados de la empresa provocaron incidentes violentos. La empresa persiste en incumplir con las ordenes de paro de actividades emitido por el gobierno, y en estos últimos días esta empleando a más personal de la zona, lo cual también es una violación a los acuerdos con el gobierno. AMNESTY LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN TO PROTECT ANTI-MINING ACTIVISTSJuly 25 th Amnesty International launched a campaign to protect the lives of anti-mining activists, Polibio Pérez and Mercy Torres. Polivio and Mercy are two well known anti-mining activists who are openly opposed to Ascendant Copper Corporation's Junin mining project. Mr. Perez has received numerous death threats and has linked the company to some of them. Ms. Torres was severely beaten in her home during the day about 2 weeks ago by someone wearing a ski mask. Investigations has failed to identify the guilty party. Ms. Torres and her husband are both in the early 20s and are both very well-known anti-mining activists. Amnesty International Action Alert (PDF) RESPALDO DE AMNISTÍA EN FAVOR DE ACTIVISTAS ANTI-MINERÍA Ayer (25 de julio), Amnistía Internacional lanzó una campaña internacional para llamar atención a las amenazas de muerte y agresiones sufridas por activistas comunitarios que se oponen al proyecto minero de Ascendant Copper. INDICIOS DE TRÁFICO DE TIERRAS EN LA ZONA MINERA DE INTAG La Comisión de Control Cívico de la Corrupción determinó que la empresa Ascendant Copper ASCEND COOPER S.A. realizó, desde el 2005, 56 compras de predios localizados en los alrededores de las concesiones mineras. De éstas, se estableció que 18 predios fueron adjudicaciones del INDA y que sus adjudicatarios los vendieron luego de uno o dos meses a la empresa, con fines especulativos, a precios superiores a los pagados al Estado. Esta sería una estrategia de la empresa minera según se desprende del documento "prospectus", publicado en la página web del "System for Economic Document Análisis and Retrieval" de la Empresa Ascendant Cooper ASCENDCOOPER S.A., donde se expresa que "Con la venta de sus derechos sobre la superficie a Ascendant, se espera que la mayoría de sus habitantes hayan salido del área o que decidan salir del área voluntariamente". (ver el boletín más adelante) PRESS RELEASE No. 320
23 July 2007
EVIDENCE OF LAND TRAFFICKING IN THE INTAG MINING ZONE The Commission for Civil-Society Control of Corruption has determined that the Ascendant Copper Company, ASCENDCOPPER S.A., has purchased, since 2005, 56 pieces of land located around their mining concessions. Eighteen of these 56 properties were allocated by the Agrarian Development Institute (INDA) and the beneficiaries then turned around and resold them, after one or two months to the Company, for speculative purposes, at prices higher than those paid to the Government agency. This seems to be a strategy of the mining company, as stated in their document entitled "Prospectus", published on the Website of the "System for Economic Document Analysis and Retrieval of the Empresa Ascendant Cooper ASCENDCOOPER S.A.", which states that: "With the sale of their land rights to Ascendant, it is expected that most residents will have left the area or will decide voluntarily to leave the area" . The CCCC has determined that, in this case, they have committed infractions that will result in the reversion of this land to the Ecuadorian Government, since the land beneficiaries, a month or two after receiving their properties, sold their land to the mining company, at prices 40 or 50 times higher than those paid to INDA, thereby demonstrating the speculative motive of these sales, and the failure to comply with the utilization plan approved by INDA. Further, the land award process was determined to have been unusually speedy. (The whole process took no longer than two months, between the date of the original application to the property award date.) Seven applicants also gained an advantage by submitting their applications to the Central District and no from the Imbabura Province regional office, as they should have done. Therefore, evidence of prevarication has been determined, in the action by Mr. Carlos Rolando Aguirre, Executive Director of INDA, and other staff involved in processing these land applications. The CCCC will submit its investigation report to the Public Ministry in order to open the respective preparatory investigations against those involved in this case. Moreover, it will sent the case to Mr. Carlos Vallejo, Minister of Agriculture, in his capacity as President of the INDA Governing Council, so he will ensure that proceedings begin for this land to revert to State ownership. The Anti-Corruption Commission will also send a report to Mr. Lenin Moreno-Garcés, Vice President of the Nation, the authority responsible for environmental issues in the Central Government, in order to inform him of the complex problem prevailing in the Intag zone, canton of Cotacachi, regarding the industrial plans of the Ascendant Copper S.A. mining company. ASCENDCOPPER. Dr. Alfredo Alvear E. Executive Director BOLETÍN DE PRENSA No. 320 23 de julio de 2007
INDICIOS DE TRÁFICO DE TIERRAS EN LA ZONA MINERA DE INTAG La Comisión de Control Cívico de la Corrupción determinó que la empresa Ascendant Cooper ASCENDCOOPER S.A. realizó, desde el 2005, 56 compras de predios localizados en los alrededores de las concesiones mineras. De éstas, se estableció que 18 predios fueron adjudicaciones del INDA y que sus adjudicatarios los vendieron luego de uno o dos meses a la empresa, con fines especulativos, a precios superiores a los pagados al Estado. Esta sería una estrategia de la empresa minera según se desprende del documento "prospectus", publicado en la página web del "System for Economic Document Análisis and Retrieval" de la Empresa Ascendant Cooper ASCENDCOOPER S.A., donde se expresa que "Con la venta de sus derechos sobre la superficie a Ascendant, se espera que la mayoría de sus habitantes hayan salido del área o que decidan salir del área voluntariamente". La C.C.C.C. determinó que, en este caso, se ha incurrido en causales para la reversión de las tierras al Estado ecuatoriano, dado que los adjudicatarios, luego de uno o dos meses de recibir las adjudicaciones, vendieron las tierras a la empresa minera, a precios 40 y 50 veces superiores a los pagados al INDA, demostrando el ánimo especulativo que animó dichas ventas, así como el incumplimiento del plan de explotación determinado por el INDA. Asimismo, se determinó una inusual celeridad en la tramitación de las solicitudes de adjudicación (los trámites no demoraron más de dos meses entre la fecha de presentación de la solicitud y la fecha de resolución), así como la ventaja que tuvieron siete de los solicitantes quienes tramitaron sus expedientes desde el Distrito Central y no desde la Regional de Imbabura, como correspondía. Por ello, se determinaron indicios de prevaricato en contra del Ing. Agr. Carlos Rolando Aguirre, Director Ejecutivo del INDA, y demás funcionarios involucrados en la atención de solicitudes de adjudicación. La C.C.C.C. remitirá el informe de investigación al Ministerio Público con el fin de que inicie la respectiva indagación previa en contra de los involucrados en el presente caso. Además, lo enviará al Ing. Carlos Vallejo, Ministro de Agricultura, en su calidad de Presidente del Consejo Directivo del INDA, con el fin de que brinde las garantías necesarias para el inicio del trámite para la reversión de tierras al Estado. La Comisión Anticorrupción remitirá además el informe al Lic. Lenin Moreno Garcés, Vicepresidente de la República, autoridad encargada de velar por los temas ambientales dentro del Gobierno Central, a fin de que tome conocimiento del complejo problema existente en la zona de Intag, cantón Cotacachi, vinculado a las proyecciones industriales que tiene la empresa minera Ascendan Cooper S.A. ASCEND COOPER. Dr. Alfredo Alvear E.
Director Ejecutivo
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