Yaku Pérez Files Legal Complaint Against Ecuador’s President and First Lady Over Mining License
Former Ecuadorian presidential candidate Yaku Pérez has lodged a formal complaint with the Attorney General’s Office against President Daniel Noboa and First Lady Lavinia Valbonesi, alleging influence peddling concerning a mining project in Azuay province, reports 24brussels.
The lawsuit also implicates Canadian-owned Dundee Precious Metals, citing irregularities in the environmental license issuance for the Loma Larga project. Pérez claims that the environmental license was granted to the company on June 23 in a “secret and clandestine” manner. He further asserted that prior meetings took place in Toronto where Noboa, Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld, and mining executives were present.
Pérez additionally pointed to Valbonesi’s receipt of questionable donations from Dundee, evidence of which has reportedly been submitted to the Prosecutor’s Office. As of now, the government has yet to respond to the allegations.
Last week, indigenous and labor organizations united to protest the potential impacts of the Loma Larga mining project on the Kimsacocha reserve in Azuay province. Water rights groups are mobilizing for a demonstration in the southern city of Cuenca on September 16 against Dundee Precious Metals’ ongoing efforts to initiate extractive activities in the ecologically sensitive area.
Kimsacocha spans 3,217 hectares and is vital for the water supply of Cuenca and surrounding towns. The mining proposal involves extracting gold, silver, and copper, with an anticipated investment of $419 million. The Ministry of Energy and Mines has currently suspended the commencement of any extractive activities until Dundee Precious Metals publicly discloses its Environmental Management Plan, particularly its strategies to safeguard water sources.