Loma Larga mining project gets government approval but residents call the public consultation a ‘fraud’

Although the Ministry of Mining has given the go-ahead to the proposed Loma Larga gold mine 30 kilometers southeast of Cuenca, many local residents say they will continue to fight the massive Dundee Precious Metals project.

Protesters at the proposed Loma Larga mine site in Victoria del Portete were surrounded by police and military personnel in a January protest.

On Tuesday, the Ministry claimed residents of the area near the proposed mine had agreed to the project following a “free, informed and prior consultation.” Ministry and Dundee officials say construction of the mine, which also contains large deposits of silver and copper, will begin in the second half of 2025.

Ecuador’s Chamber of Mining, which represent mining interests, hailed the ministry’s announcement. “For the first time in the country’s history, a prior, free and informed consultation has been carried out, and residents of Pedro de Escaleras, near the mine site, have agreed that the project can move forward,” said María Eulalia Silva, mining chamber.

Rómulo Guzman, president of the Victoria del Portete government, expressed his “indignation” at the Mining Ministry’s announcement. “At no time has a legitimate prior and informed consultation been conducted in the community of Escaleras,” he said. “We have surveyed the residents and almost none of the 3,500 people were consulted.”

According to Guzman, there was “an attempt at a meeting” on the Day of Dead holiday, Oct. 20 2024, but only 20 people showed up. “None of the leaders in the community, including me, were informed about it and it appears it was intentional to exclude those who are most familiar with the environmental and hydrological impact of the mine.”

He added: “This so-called informed meeting was a fraud.”

Guzman points out that two popular referendums, one in the Girón canton and another in in Cuenca, overwhelming rejected mining in the area. The Girón vote opposed mining by 87%, while Cuenca voters were 80% opposed.

“The vote of the people who live in the region was ignored entirely,” says Guzman.

The Mining Ministry counters that both public referendums applied only to future mining projects, not to previously granted mining concessions. Dundee was granted mining rights for Loma Larga in 2021, two years prior to the referendums.

In addition to residents of Portete and Escaleras, Cuenca Mayor Cristian Zamora said he was “steadfastly against” the Loma Larga mine. Prior to the ministry’s announcement last week, Zamora criticized Mining Minister Inés Manzano for pushing the project forward. “Don’t tell me you are in favor of illegal mining and ignoring the wishes of the people who will be affected by it,” he said. “We have a clear position on this: the water recharge areas must be protected. And we cannot forget that southern Ecuador has just endured the longest drought in history. We must take care of the highlands that provide water to Cuenca and surrounding areas.”