The Ministry of Energy and Non-Renewable Natural Resources made this decision after reports of illegal mining.
The Minister of Energy and Non-Renewable Natural Resources, Juan Carlos Bermeo Calderón, announced that all current mining rights in Yutzupino, Tena canton, Napo province, will be suspended.
This pronouncement was made before the Biodiversity and Natural Resources Commission of the National Assembly to carry out an evaluation of the environmental and social effects caused by illegal extractive activities in the area.
Social leaders and environmental groups protested on February 9 to denounce the presence of large illegal mining camps that would be producing high pollution to the main river sources that feed more than half of the population that lives in the province and adjoining communities. .
They denounced that 150 backhoes and around 4,000 workers were carrying out illicit extractivism activities in the sector.
The protesters assured that the authorities do not carry out any type of control over the minerals of Yutzupino, Anzu, Arosemena Tola in the Tena River, because they had lost control of the area.
Given this, the minister assured that they will stop illegal mining in the area: “We will not allow a new Buenos Aires” and added that mining activities will be temporarily suspended throughout that territory.
The minister stated that for the resolution to be effective, he will coordinate a comprehensive evaluation of all the damages registered in Tena, as a result of the illegal extraction of minerals, with the Agency for the Regulation and Control of Non-Renewable Energy and Natural Resources (ARCERNNR) and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition (MAATE).
In addition, he pointed out that, in order to comply with the suspension of mining activities in the territory, coordination will be maintained with the control entities and the Government and Environment ministries, so that the necessary actions and adequate mechanisms are deployed. ensure the well-being of the population and the ecosystem that has already been affected.
The residents of the province celebrate the decision, but warn that they will be aware that the provisions of the ministry are really complied with and that the respective operations are carried out to dismantle and dismantle the illegal settlements that have already affected a large part of the territory, since they began. these activities more than a year ago.
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