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.