Doctor Alfredo Palacios
Presidente Constitucional República del Ecuador
Palacio Presidencial
Plaza de la Independencia
Quito, Ecuador
email: piedad.flor@presidencia.gov.ec

December 2005

SUBJECT: MINING IN INTAG

Dear Mr. President,

I am writing to express my concern of the threats that the Junín mining project poses to the people and environment in the Intag area of Cotacachi County.

I urge you to analyze carefully the long-term implications of this project to the forests of the Toisan Range, for the local communities, county of Cotacachi, and the area’s natural resources, and in general, to your country. Likewise, I support a complete investigation of the numerous human-rights violations people from communities in the Intag area have complained about as a consequence of the presence of mining companies in their territory. It seems many of these abuses are being carried out by CODEGAM, which it seems, is a front organization created by the mining company, Ascendant Copper Corporation.

According to reliable sources, this project would impact not only the Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve, but also would cause so much deforestation that it would dry up the climate in the Intag area. Some of the other environmental impacts identified in the Environmental Impact Assessment include massive deforestation, contamination of rivers and streams with heavy metals, and impacts to many species of mammals and birds facing extinction. All these impacts are contained in the Environmental Impact Assessment produced by two very prestigious Japanese institutions for the Junín project, and in fact, are based on only a small portion of the total copper found.

Socially, the relocation of over one-hundred families from at least four communities threaten the livelihood and welfare of these communities and families, not to mention possibly violating fundamental human rights. The drying up of the climate would also impact the livelihood of thousands of families who depend on the rains for their agricultural activities.

If these were insufficient reasons to delay or stop the mining project, there is ample denouncements of illegal activities and irregularities presented by local communities, NGO’s, and the Municipality of Cotacachi related to the issuance of the mining concessions and other activities, that the issue merits an in-depth investigation.

Mr. President, your country’s unequal biological and cultural diversity would be better put to use in the promotion of ecological tourism and other sustainable economic activities. Ecotourism is an activity that is not only sustainable, but which benefits a much bigger portion of the population. Mining, in comparison, concentrates wealth in a few hands, is short-lived, and destroys renewable resources, such as water, forests and biodiversity, leaving the country with long term environmental and social problems.

For all these reasons, I urge you to do all that is possible to stop the JUNÍN mining project and protect the rights of the people of Intag.

Sincerely,