Ecuadorian Communities Condemn Militarization Amid New Mining Consultation
The Ecuadorian National Anti-Mining Front has condemned the significant deployment of police and military forces in Palo Quemado, Cotopaxi province, as the Ministry of Environment moves forward with a new environmental consultation for the La Plata mining project, managed by Atico Mining, reports 24brussels.
In a formal statement, the Front alerted Ecuadorian society and both national and international human rights organizations of an emerging “scenario of repression against peasant communities.” They supported their claims with videos shared on digital platforms depicting the military presence in the area.
Ecuador has experienced ongoing conflicts between rural communities and extractive projects, primarily in the mining sector, since the 1990s. These conflicts have resulted in forced displacements, judicial persecution of social leaders, criminalization of protests, and irreversible damage to fragile ecosystems.
Areas like Intag, Mirador, Río Blanco, and Fruta del Norte have been the site of confrontations between state forces and residents opposing large-scale mining operations.
Environmental and anti-mining organizations have criticized the government’s failure to conduct prior, free, and informed consultations, which they argue breaches the Ecuadorian Constitution and the International Labour Organization’s Convention 169. This convention mandates consultations with indigenous peoples before initiating projects that could impact their territories.
According to these groups, the consultation processes frequently involve irregularities, undue pressure, co-optation of community leaders, and excessive use of force by authorities.
In Cotopaxi, local communities have long asserted that mining operations jeopardize their water sources, agricultural land, and traditional economic activities, posing risks of heavy metal contamination and destruction of paramo ecosystems.
Despite the ongoing complaints and appeals from the communities, the Provincial Court of Justice of Cotopaxi dismissed their appeals on August 15, 2025, permitting the Ministry of Environment to proceed with the consultation process “under the same parameters of unconstitutionality,” as articulated by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (MICC).
