Community resistance defeats destructive mine and hydroelectric projects in the Ecuadorian Amazon!

Canadian based Corriente Resources and US Lowell Mineral Exploration forced to flee. Support needed!

Jimbitono is a small village located in the Oriente of Ecuador where the Northwest corner of the Amazon begins. The river Abanico flows through Jimbitono where for generations the people of Jimbitono have used the river. The traditional way of life of Jimbitono began to change in September of 2004 when a company called Hidroabanico arrived and started to build a hydroelectric plant on the Abanico destroying the tranquillity and radically altering the river. The water level has dropped drastically and the water temperature has changed, causing many native species to die.

In the middle of January, 2006 the Hydroelectric plant began to function in its first phase. The energy generated from the dammed river was sent via electrical cables 12km long to the city of Macas where it is sold outside of the jungle province to Kentucky Fried Chicken, Coca Cola, and PYCA, a plastics factory in the coastal city of Guayaquil.

Hidroabanico used fraudulent documents as well as intimidation and threats to coerce locals into ceding their land to the company.

The 2nd phase of the Hydroabanico plant, due to begin shortly, involves the construction of electrical towers from Jimbitono for hundreds of miles along a corridor of jungle passing through many mestizo as well as Shuar indigenous communities. This electricity would be destined to be used in the mines run by Canadian Company Corriente Resources, as well as American Company Lowell Mineral Exploration, companies responsible for vast environmental destruction in the Amazon, as well as repeated human rights abuses and exploitation of workers.

On the night of August 29th, 2006, before this 2nd phase could begin, the people of Jimbitono blockaded the road leading to the Hidroabanico and began an indefinite strike occupying the water tubes of the Plant, effectively shutting it down. The company responded by hiring armed guards and calling in the police and government officials.

However as news of the struggle in Jimbitono spread, to the mining centers of the south as well as the campesino and indigenous communities along the corridor to be used to transport the electricity, the strike began to grow. Throughout the provinces of Morona Santiago and Zamora Chinchipe roads were blocked and mining installations were seized by enraged locals. A local coalition was formed by the communities in resistance to the project and the Shuar Indigenous Federation gave Lowell Mineral Exploration an ultimatum to leave their territories by November 1st.

By November 7th the entire province was paralyzed by the strike and three mining camps had been seized by the local population.

As the strike grew the repression began. On November 4th Corriente Resources called for a counter march in the province of Zamora Chinchipe in an attempt to sabotage the provincial assembly of communities in resistance. The counter march provoked confrontations with members of the assembly who were physically attacked. Police intervened using tear gas.

On the 9th of November the people of Pangui (in the North of Zamora Chinchipe) began a long march to the Mirador mine (owned by Corrientes Resources), the largest copper mine in Ecuador. There are currently plans in the works to construct a viaduct from Mirador to the coastal port of Machala in the Pacific (some 200 miles crossing the Andes). This project will cause massive devastation in the region. During the march the participants were attacked with rocks by a contingent of locals in the pay of Corriente Resources. At 2am the following morning they were attacked again, this time by 40 masked individuals armed with dynamite and fire arms. Approximately 15 marchers were injured in this attack. One of the attackers was detained by the protesters. This detainee gave the marchers information that the company was behind the attack.

Despite the repression the communities in resistance were able to keep the military from intervening in the strike, and despite national media ignoring the strike and local radio calling strikers delinquents, and terrorists, the strike continued to enjoy much support throughout the area.

Because of the determined resistance government officials agreed to a public meeting in Jimbitono, November 12th, with spokespeople from all the communities involved in the strike. The result of this meeting was a signed agreement which called for the immediate termination of the 2nd phase of the Hidroabanico project, the termination of the electrical corridor, the suspension of Corriente Resources mining activities in the area, and the start of negotiations to declare Morona Santiago as an ecological and touristic province. The agreement also states that the government will not take repressive actions against the participants in the strike.

Despite this apparent victory Corriente Resources, Lowell Mineral Exploration and other transnational companies continue to have a heavy influence in Ecuador and the Amazon region. It is important to put pressure on these companies to insure that human and workers rights violations do not continue to occur and that the environmental devastation for profit will not happen with out resistance.

Below are contacts for Corriente Resources based in Vancouver, Canada. Let them know they can not continue destroying the environment and traditional communities for profit.

Corriente Resources Inc.
520-800 W. Pender St.
Vancouver, BC V6C 2V6
CEO & Director: Kenneth (Ken) R. Shannon
President: Thomas (Tom) E. Milner
Phone: 001-(604) 687-0449
Fax: 001-(604) 687-0827
E-mail: copper@corriente.com

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