Quito Rejects Mining in Chocó Andino Biosphere Reserve: Concessions Denied Access to Exploitation Phase

Fred Larreátegui, lawyer for Quito without Mining, said that the 12 mining concessions in the Chocó Andino biosphere reserve will not be able to enter the exploitation phase.

members of the collective Quito without Mining They say that they will be vigilant that the results of the popular consultation on the Choco Andean.

With close to 70%, the voters of Quito They rejected mining in the Chocó Andino biosphere reserve in the popular consultation of August 20, 2023.

“We will wait for the official results to initiate actions so that this is respected. We have control authorities that must pay attention to this,” said Fred Larreátegui, a lawyer for Quito without Mining.

Larreátegui explained that in the Chocó Andino reserve there are 12 mining concessions granted and eight in process. Regarding the first ones, he said that they will not be able to go to the exploitation phase and about those that are in process that should not be granted.

“We will present all constitutional actions and administrative that are necessary for the results to be respected”, stressed the lawyer for the group.

Ivone Ramos, from Ecological Actionthanked Quito for its support and described the result of the consultation as a historical fact. “We toured all the popular neighborhoods of Quito. It is a very political society and interested in information. The results fill us with joy and hope.”

For the Quito without Mining collective, in the Chocó Andino area there has never been legal mining. Ramos assured that there is a company that operated in the territory without an environmental license for 20 years.

“70% (of Quito) are saying that we want another economic model“, stressed Inty Arcos, from the Chocó Andino community and part of the Quito Sin Minería collective. And he added that the peasant economy It must be respected and empowered.

Arcos recalled that in the Chocó Andino for a long time other economic activities have been promoted, such as the ecotourism and the agroecologywhich have created important jobs.

As an example, he said that from this area organic panela is exported to countries like Italy, France and Spain. This has created about 2,400 jobs.

“We have to look back at the fieldWe have to find that balance again. It is interesting to continue rescuing the importance of water. You can’t buy that with money”, stressed Arcos.