Anti-mining march planned for anniversary of ‘Fifth River’ protest that stopped gold mine project

“Cuenca marches again,” is the slogan for a protest planned for September 16, the first anniversary of the massive march through the historic district that stopped development of the Loma Larga gold mine south of Cuenca. The 2025 march, called the “Fifth River” or the “Great March for Water,” attracted an estimated 100,000 protesters.

More than 100,000 marchers protested against the Loma Larga gold mine in 2025, forcing the government to shut down the project.

Lauro Sigcha, president of the Federation of Indigenous and Peasant Organizations of Azuay (FOA), said the objective of the anniversary march is to send a message to the government. “We are telling President Noboa and the mining companies to stay out of Azuay Province,” he said. “We made it very clear last year and that we will protect our water sources and our páramos just as we protected Quimsacocha.”

In addition to the FOA, the Cuenca Cabildo for Water, the Communes of San Felipe de Molleturo and San Pedro de Escaleras and the Water Boards of Tarqui and Victoria del Portete are organizing the anniversary march.

According to Sigcha, the coalition is demanding the cancellation of all mining concessions in Azuay Province, especially in the páramos. “We achieved our goal of revoking the environmental license for Loma Larga in 2025 but now we demand that all mining plans and activity in the area be stopped permanently,” he said. “The government responded to the power of the people a year ago and we insist they respond again.”

March organizer Carlos Castro said the September 16 march will follow the same route as the 2025 event. “It will begin again at the San Roque Plaza, joined by marchers from Av. 12 de Abril, then cross the Rio Tomebamba to Parque Calderon where we will deliver our demands to the governor’s,” he said. “After that we will gather in San Francisco Plaza.”

The time is right, Sigcha says, for a new protest march. “There is an excellent mood on the part of the citizens and there continues to be broad support for protecting our water,” he said. “The position of Cuencanos has not changed and we will defend our environmental, political and economic rights.”