It has now become a never-ending story. This time it was in the community of Cerro Pelado, on Friday, August 23, that residents attended a meeting requested by the Quito-based office of the Ministry of the Environment. Presumably, the major objective was to respond to questions from people opposed to the Llurimagua mining project, a project imposed by force in May of 2014.

Personnel came from the Ministry’s main Quito office for Environmental Quality and Biodiversity, along with a representative from the Ministry of the Environment’s Ibarra office. The communities were accompanied by Katherine Andrade, head of the Imbabura office of the Defensoría del Pueblo (Public Defender), and a representative from the Quito office of the same entity. From Cerro Pelado and surrounding communities, some 50 people attended, including personnel from local environmental organizations ACUSMIT and DECOIN and a number of members of the ASOCIACION DE PRODUCCION AGRÍCOLA DEFENSORES DE AGUA TIERRA Y VIDA (ASOPROAGUA), the organizers of the event.

Among the many grievances presented, participants indicated to Ministry personnel the lack of transparency demonstrated by Cardno Entrix, the entity contracted to do the Environmental Impact Study prior to widening the advanced exploration process. Participants indicated the irregularities discovered by the national Comptroller General and the Public Defenders’ Office, as well as a series of errors and omissions in the study itself.

Personnel from the Public Defenders’ office reminded residents of their constitutional right to prior consultation before the onset of mining activities, and that the struggle in Cerro Pelado and all of Intag is not simply a result of the lack of an Environmental Consultation but also in defense of the rights of Nature which, according to a report from the Public Defenders’ Office, have been violated.

All those present participated in an intense discussion, during which government employees also explained that rumors about the Ministry of the Environment’s approval of the environmental permit for the advanced exploration phase were false. They explained that Cardno Entrix has to broaden its studies and correct numerous errors discovered not only by the Comptroller and Public Defenders offices but also as a result of objections raised by the Assembly of County Unity of Cotacachi

In general, there was an evident lack of confidence, displayed by community residents, in the Ministry of the Environment, accused of sometimes acting in ways indistinguishable from those of mining company employees. Given the major role of the Ministry in protecting the environment, residents wanted to know how to interpret the fact that this very same Ministry has defended mining companies in trials against the state in order to stop mining in protected forests and indigenous territories.

Before the meeting ended, Ministry personnel said that they would soon be meeting with residents in favor of mining in order to have a more complete picture of the situation.

At the end of the meeting, residents indicated very clearly that Cardo Entrix, Codelco, and Enami would not be allowed entry into community territory.

The question of the year: Will they pay attention this time???