2024-04-15 00:53:26
The mayor of the canton, Óscar Monge, also requested the withdrawal of military and police forces.
The information phase carried out by the Ministry of the Environment, prior to the environmental consultation in Palo Quemado, in Sigchos, must be suspended immediately. This, because the multi-competent judge of that canton, Darwin Danilo Paredes, gave way to the protective action filed by the mayor, Óscar Monge.
The development of this process and the installation of the La Plata mine have generated numerous and violent clashes between those who oppose mining and military and police personnel who provide protection in the area. For this reason, Monge also requested the withdrawal of military and police personnel.
In the second and third points of the document, it requests that the Joint Command of the Armed Forces, the withdrawal of troops deployed in Palo Quemado and Las Pampas. Also that the National Police withdraw your personnel from both parishes, with the exception of personnel assigned for control and custody and for combat during the internal armed conflict.
Mining in Palo Quemado and Las Pampas
The parishes of Palo Quemado and Las Pampas, in the canton of Sigchos (Cotopaxi), and the canton Alluriquín, in Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilashave important deposits of gold, copper, silver and zinc. This allows medium-scale mining activities that are currently concessioned to the company La Plata, a subsidiary of the Canadian Atico Mining Corporation.
However, the extraction does not have the support of the entire community. One sector assures that the areas do not require mining, since they are essentially agricultural.