In the morning around 9am I receive a call on the Motorola saying that I need to go to the control, that a car of police officers stopped at Polivio’s house and was on its way up to Junín. When I arrive at the control, the control has been opened. Mercy Torres tells me she was advised to open it in case the police car wants to enter. The car has not yet arrived. It stops short of Junín, turns around, then turns around again and continues coming towards Junín. It turns around one more time and stops in Chalguayaco Alto for about half an hour. It never comes all the way to Junín.

After the car leaves I walk to Chalguayaco Bajo to find out more details about what happened. Don Julio meets me on the road. He says that nine or ten officers from Cotacachi come to the house looking for Polivio. Polivio is at a meeting in Nalgulví, but Don Julio tells the officers that he is in Quito. The police leave without ever stating why they are looking for Polivio. Don Julio imagines they want to arrest him. We agree that nine or ten officers do not come just to talk.

Someone calls Polivio on his cell phone to warn him about what happened. He decides to spend a few days in Otavalo.

This event comes after several denunciations against Polivio for his role in the December burning of Ascendant’s camp. People from the communities that were not even present at the burning, and who support the mining project (like Jaime Sanchez) are testifying that he was the instigator, that the gasoline probably came from his house, and that he threatened people physically not to talk about his role in the burning. It is unsure whether the police were looking for Polivio in connection with the burning or the denunciations. Since the officers were from Cotacachi, it is possible it could have something to do with the August 17, 2006 march and demonstration.

Nicole Pacino

International Human Rights Observer

Intag Solidarity Network

This morning around 6am approximately 40 people from Junín, Chalguayaco Alto, Chalguayaco Bajo, and Armenia boarded a chartered bus at Loma Negra and headed for Cotacachi. As a result of a visit Polivio Perez, Oscar Cultid and Marcia Ramírez made to the Ascendant office in Garcia Moreno*, Polivio, Israel Perez, and Edmundo Lucero received invitations to attend a meeting discussing the environmental impact study and its socialization process at the Casa Santa Fe in Cotacachi. They contacted Auki Tituaña to see if they should accept, and it was decided that they should go and bring numbers from the communities.

Once in Cotacachi we meet up with José Garzón and others from Peñaherrera, as well as supporters from Cotacachi (Aya and members from the Asemblea Cantonal). Around 11am everyone crowds into a room at the Asemblea for a meeting. It is decided that there will be a march to the Casa Santa Fe, where the negotiation is to be held. Polivio states that there are around 40 pro-mining people already there. Someone from the Asemblea says that Alcalde Tituaña does not know there is about to be a march through the city. Around 11:30am we leave the Asemblea. As we come out through the doors a police car that was parked in front leaves.

People have banners and shout slogans as we walk (Down with Ascendant, Up with Junín/Intag; Mining and Oil want the same thing; Leave Ascendant; Down with the Mining Project). We are around 50 people, and we are blocking the roads as we walk, not letting cars pass. We are accompanied by a car and 2 people from Hoy.

It takes about 20 minutes to walk to Casa Santa Fe. When we arrive, people congregate around the gates blocking the entrance to the compound. They continue chanting slogans. Shortly thereafter a police car arrives and 2 officers get out. A tall, Afro-ecuadorian officer begins talking with the people. Polivio explains the purpose of the demonstration, assures that it will be entirely peaceful, and begins to explain about the socialization process. The officer seems to be in a good mood, and offers repeated assertions of “I am on your side” and “Let me see what I can do.” He establishes Polivio as the leader and writes his name in his notebook.

The officer goes inside to see what the mining groups wants to do with the gathering outside. After some time he emerges, saying a 2-3 people will be allowed inside to participate in the negotiations. The people refuse, saying all enter or none. There are repeated attempts to explain to the officer that these are the people that will be most affected by the mine, the people that most deserve a spot at the negotiating table, and they are here to have their voices heard. The officer responds saying he is just doing his job. This process continues for about an hour. During this time representatives from Hoy and La Hora, as well as a guy wearing a jacket that says “La Prensa” are allowed inside the hotel.

After going inside the Casa Santa Fe and returning several times, the officer repeats the original offer. The group again refuses. A few individuals begin to bang on the gate. The officer now is noticeable irritated. He goes to the car and takes out a teargas gun and some cartridges. Another car arrives with 5 more officers. They line up in front of the gate and tell everyone to move back. Up until this point I have filmed a majority of the demonstration. Someone tells me top turn the camera off. Someone else tells me to keep filming.

Perhaps because of the tension, a large part of the group moves to the right, away from the gate, and over towards the wall encircling the property. They begin to shout slogans over the wall. Another police car arrives and now there are 12 officers. Some of them follow the movement of the group; others stay to guard the gate.

The door opens around 1pm and 2 young women emerge with 4 bottles of soda, which they say is a gift from the owner of the hotel. Marcia asks them if he or they are miners. They say no. Polivio introduces himself as the president of the Consejo para Desarrollo Comunitario and says thank you for the offer, but we cannot accept. The women return inside with the soda. At this point people are joking about having lunch inside, as well as shouting insults as Carlos Moriagi (calling him a thief and a liar), who someone has stated is inside.

Another officer initiates negotiations with the group. He states that those who have invitations will be allowed to enter with no problems. This is only Polivio and Israel; Edmundo did not come. Polivio makes a counter offer: 5 people from the communities and 2 people with cameras. The officer goes inside, and when he returns he says 5 people, no cameras. The group debates for awhile. At first it seems like they will accept, but then they change their minds. We leave to have lunch around 2pm, shouting that we will be back. We board a bus a little after 3:30pm and return to Intag.

In the afternoon, around 1:30pm, we receive a call on the Motorola at the cabañas that Sonia is alone in the house and being harassed by unwelcome visitors. She requests that someone come to the house. Stuart Schussler, Cyril M., Oscar Cultid, and I set off at a rapid pace for Chalguayaco Bajo. Along the way we encounter Don Julio and Javier Ramírez, both of whom join us.

By the time we arrive in Chalguayaco the confrontation is over. Sonia patiently explains what happened.

Two women and one man, Sonia’s cousins who support the mining project, arrive at the house. A guy she does not know on a motorcycle crosses at least eight times in front of the house during the course of the conversation. They say that they have evidence in Cotacachi that Auki Tutuaña is paying Polivio $1500 a month to continue to fight against Ascendant. They tell her that she is poor, that she deserves a better life than the one Polivio is giving her currently. They say that is she convinces Polivio to stop fighting they will pay off all of their debts so they can lead a better life. Sonia tells then that Polivio would rather die than sell out to the mining company and they leave.

While we are sitting out front talking, a guy on a motorcycle drives down from the direction of Chalguayaco Alto. Sonia identifies him as the one crossing in front of the house earlier. Don Julio stops and questions him: who is he, why is he here, is he working for the mining company, why was he crossing back and forth in front of Sonia’s house? He denies working for Ascendant, stating he is only a “pasajero.” He turns around and returns towards Chalguayaco Alto. A bit later he comes back down with someone else on the motorcycle. He is not stopped again.

Nicole Pacino
International Human Rights Observer

Observer: David Kneas

Date: 11/1/2005

The meeting in Garcia Moreno on Oct. 29 was supposed to deal with Parish issues like health, education, transportation and a few other general concerns. Mining was intentionally not put on the agenda. This meeting was called in the wake of a series of Asambleas throughout Intag and

Cotacachi County. I was told on Friday (the 28th) that I would be allowed to attend and film the meeting. Polibio had talked personally with Shisela Morales, president of the Parish, about the presence of international observers, which she approved. In the days leading up to the meeting there were rumors that the minnig conflict would come to the fore and that many more people would be there than originally intended. These rumors did not dissapoint.

When we arrived to Garcia Moreno around 8:45am on Saturday, a few other trucks, transporting people from throughout the Parish of Garcia Moreno and other parishes in Intag, were already in the town square and a few others arrived right behind us. Though the total number on Saturday was considerably less than previous meetings in Intag, there was a palpable tension that I had not felt in those other meetings. For one thing, there were around 15 policemen, whereas in the past there may have been only two or three. Polibio immediately found Phil and I and took us to the Coliseo, the large assembly hall in Garcia Moreno. When we entered, along with representatives of Periodico Intag, parish officials were setting up a registration table at the entrance to the Coliseo, with a few policemen behind them. By around 9:30am there was a decent sized crowd outside the Coliseo waiting to get in. Parish officials were registering people one by one, making sure that only those from the Parish of Garcia Moreno were allowed to enter. By around 9:45am some folks in the crowd outside complained about the registration process, stating that everyone should be allowed in. Just after Shisela announced on the loudspeaker that only those from the Parish would be allowed in, a group of about 50 or so barged through the doors, led by Ronald Andrade. As everyone who was outside poored in, the police stood

by watching. The population inside the Coliseo went from around 40 to around 400 in only a few minutes. Shisela again picked up the microphone and announced that only those from the Parish would be allowed to stay and everyone else had to live. Ronald Andrade then shout back, with a few hoops and hollars from those around him, “What about the Gringos!?, What are the Gringos doing here!!!”

“The Gringos are International Observors of Human Rights,” responded Shisela on the loundspeaker. During this interchange Phil and I were standing on a bench in a front corner of the room, filming and in sight of everyone. We decided to sit down. What ensued over the next 30 minutes was somewhat chaotic and confusing. A group gathered in the front of the room, around Shisela, to discuss what was going on. I could hear Andrade s voice giving Shisela a hard time, mentioning again the presence of the “Gringos”. Shisela responded on the microphone that only those from the Parish would be allowed to stay. She then called for a meeting with the community presidents on the front stage. Not long after they gathered there, Andrade climbed the stage and put himself in the middle of it. During this time most of the crowd was quiet, with occassional shouts in favor of each side. A few people called for the meeting to be suspended.

Not long after the group gathered on the stage, Shisela took the microphone and announced that the meeting was suspended, because its security could not be garunteed. Shisela also mentioned that CODEGAM could continue with its meeting, but not in the Coliseo. At this point a few women from Junin, who hovered over Phil and I once Andrade entered the Coliseo, grabbed us and took us out and down the street to the Plaza of Garcia Moreno. For the most part, most of the people in the Colsieo stayed there. After waiting about 10 minutes I returned with Julio and

entered the Coliseo as Andrade stood on one part of the stage and yelled that the ultimate authority of the Parish is the people, and do the people want the meeting to go on. A few lound gritos of support followed. At that point Shisela grabbed the microphone and said the authority to call and suspend Parish meetings belonged to the President, “and this meeting is over.” Shisela then left the Coliseo followed by most of the non-Codegam population.

Andrade then held a CODEGAM meeting in the Coliseo, as everyone else was down in the Plaza eating lunch. From what I gathered talking to a few folks over lunch Andrade had a few interests in interrupting and attempting to take over the meeting. 1) Many people in the region are upset with the company, including CODEGAM, who lost much of their funding. According to a few folks I talked to, Andrade wanted to use the meeting as a forum against the company, but with himself as the leader. At which point he could approach the company and say, “look, I’ve got this support behind me, now pay up.” 2) I was also told that Ascendant might audit CODEGAM, to find out where all of its money has gone. Andrade might have wanted to “hijack” the opposition to avoid this audit.

At around 12 or 1pm, we left back to Junin. On the whole everyone seemed fairly befuddled at the whole event. The language of the debate was not one of mining versus ecologistas, but rather one of the norms of the Parish assembly. I was also told that many of the people Andrade brought to support him were not from Garcia Moreno, but rather gathered from other Parishes in Intag and also brought over from Pichincha. The only person from the mining company present, was a young man who was filming the precedings, something Andrade must have known.

While living in Junin, Ecuador, I had the good fortune to attend a community meeting where the taped conversation between Polibio Perez (community activist and leader) and Gary Davis (President, Ascendant Copper Corporation) was shown.  The video was taken by a group of British filmmakers, who were in Junin documenting the anti-mining struggle.  A few days prior, Polibio Perez and Gary Davis had agreed on a meeting involving the leaders of every community affected by the proposed copper mine.  Davis called the meeting off, saying he wanted to meet with Perez individually.  He then came to Perez’s house for a meeting, and was greeted by the film crew.

The meeting proceeded pretty much as one would imagine.  The questions and answers were translated.  The woman who did the translating overall did a satisfactory job, although there were several important points left out during long questions.  One of the first questions that Perez directed towards Davis asked for reasoning behind the attempts of Ascendant to create a new canton within Cotacachi County (an ecological county) that would permit mining.  This was left out of the translation.  Somewhat later, a question directed towards Davis regarding the activities of an Ascendant sponsored organization, CODEGAM, was omitted as well.

Many organizations and leaders of the struggle have been ecstatic over the fact that Davis was eventually caught on tape saying that Ascendant would respect the wishes of the communities.  He did in fact say these words; however, he said many other things that lead me to believe that are not as strong as some people want to take them.  Davis made several references to the fact that he is new with the company, that the company has made many mistakes in its relationship with the communities, and stressed that Ascendant and himself would be working to change the relationship and heal the wounds.  He was insistent in saying that Ascendant will make good on its promises of development for the communities, especially in the way of doctors and hospitals.  He mentioned also the other cornerstones of Ascendant development: paved roads, electricity, schools.  But, the most antithetical point to respecting the communities was when Davis stated that he was unable to help the fact that there is a large copper deposit in Junin, and if it isn’t Ascendant that will exploit it, it will be someone else.  Therefore, they will only respect the wishes of the community as long as the community will permit them to mine.

Additionally, an interesting aspect of the conversation was that Davis refused to disclose any information relating to funding or personnel of CODEGAM.  He stated that these were problems of the company, HIS problems, and he would not disclose this information to Perez.
Nicki Pacino
September 12, 2005

Nicki Pacino

I consider my time in Junin to have been pretty special, in part due to the experience of assisting a localized, community struggle against an international mining corporation, but mostly for the impact it had on me personally. In the short time that I lived in Junin (3 weeks to 1 month) I developed a network of friends and family that taught me a considerable amount about how to live your life while struggling for the basic freedom of autonomy. The dedication, knowledge and commitment that the residents of Junin demonstrate with regard to their situation is second only to the joy and camaraderie which they share. To me, life in Junin is the very embodiment of “community”.

The ecological reserve of Junin sits on a large copper deposit that an international corporation (Ascendant Copper Corporation, based in Vancouver, Canada) wishes to exploit. The answer from Junin has echoed a resounding “NO” to the company. The residents of Junin have a vast understanding of the ways in which mining will affect their community, livelihoods, and environment, and have organized very effectively against the intrusions of the corporation. Over the last several years, there were numerous confrontations between community members and employees of the mining company, which led to the development of the International Observer Program. In the 7 or 8 months that observers have lived in Junin, the dynamics of the conflict changed dramatically. People from the company very rarely come into direct confrontation with Junin residents anymore; they prefer to use low-intensity techniques like propaganda, bribery, and the purchase of land to further their cause. During my time in Junin, the miners illegally entered the reserve no less than 4 times through neighboring communities, and each time under cover of night. The people of Junin are organizing a “patrol” to guard the reserve at night, but there is apprehension that this will result in a violent confrontation. The primary rumor in Junin is that the company is purchasing surrounding lands in order to construct a highway into the reserve that will bypass Junin altogether.

Life is very simple in Junin, much less so than here in California, and I will miss being there incredibly. The trust and confidence we established together will not be forgotten, and my reflection on the experience has only begun.

International Observer Update

HI all!

This will be a quick note about what has transpired in the last 3 weeks or so that Tyler and I have been living in Junin.

Essentially all is very peaceful. WE spend our time reading, helping around the cabañas, teaching english, traveling all over the region to various meetings, and doing various other odd things that help fill the time.

Recent things of note: Tyler and I have only been called to the control twice on account of miners arriving. Both times after we responded that we were in route, the mining truck stopped at one of the lower communities. On one occasion the miners actually entered into the reserve from Cerro Pelado, but when DOn Julio and various others went searching for them all they found were footprints. They were in and out very fast.

Of other note is the other night Edmundo Lucero´s brother (Hugo? the one that has sold to the miners) came to the control around midnight demanding to be allowed to pass. Don Julio and only one other person was there. Lucero had various family members with him. He stated that if he was not allowed to pass in his truck that he would come back with a motorcyle and go around the control. At this point Don Julio went to Junin and roused a few people to come to the control. The face off lasted until 4am when Lucero and Co. finally left. Most community members went home also but a few stayed until around 6am to make sure there was no repeated attempt.

In other news, we have spent 2 or 3 days at Polibio Perez´s house as official observers. He seems to have warmed considerably to the thought of using us. I think his idea if to get us involved in some community projects in The Bajo to better acquaint the community with us and vice versa.

Also, it seems as if the community of Barcelona will vote to put in a control of their own. Now we just need one in Cerro Pelado!

And one more thing, the community leaders met with an environmental lawyer from Quito about a week ago, and it seems like the ball might start rolling in an attempt to legalize lands in the name of the communities, especially the Junin Reserve.

Anyway, that´s about it. I will meet Amy tonight and spend the next week or so getting her acquainted with Ecuador and Intag, then I am home again in a week and a half. How the time flies!

Peace, Nicki

Intag Solidarity Network (ISN)

International Observer Events Report

On Wednesday, May 4th, representatives of Ascendant Copper and Whistler (working for Ascendant Copper) came to the community of Junìn. They were Giovanni Rosania, general manager of Ascendant Copper, Pierre [last name unknown] of Whistler, and a third man. The men were stopped at the community roadblock, conversed with community members who told them they absolutely do not want mining, and were then asked to leave. The men never entered the community of Junìn nor the community reserve.

The men arrived at approximately 11:30 AM and were stopped at the community roadblock. They were allowed to sit on the patio of a nearby house and community members were alerted of their presence. Within about a half hour, 40 community members were present. Hugo Ramirez videotaped the events as did Charles Carlin, international observer of the ISN.

The men explained their presence in Junìn by claiming that they were interested in learning the position of people in Junìn about mining. However, much of the meeting was devoted to the visitors trying to convince residents of the benefits of mining, defaming the mayor of Cotacachi County, Auki Tituaña, and lecturing residents about deforestation.

The community response was emphatic: no to mining and no to the presence of mining companies or anyone affiliated with mining companies in their community. Residents explained the value of the clean water, fertile land, and agricultural work that they currently have. They clearly explained their understanding that all of this would be destroyed with mining. When Mr. Rosania claimed that residents only know the negatives of mining and not the positives, they responded making it perfectly clear that they understood the effects of mining and are not interested in the project.

Residents also made the visitors aware of the threats and actions of Carlos Alonso, of Garcia Moreno. They told the men about death threats and acts of intimidation led by Mr. Alonso against residents of Junìn and the surrounding communities. This is one reason that they ask that no representative or affiliate of any mining company come to their communities. .

At that point the men were asked to leave. They prolonged the conversation another 15 minutes or so and then were asked to leave again. They left at approximately 1:30 PM.