Quito could become the first city in the world to stop mining in its
territory forever.

Show your support for community members fighting to protect their water,
land and air from greedy mining companies.

[ [link removed] ] Sign the petition 

   
John,

Quito, the capital of Ecuador, could be the first city to do something
incredible: end mining forever.

Community members have been collecting signatures for years. Now they’ve
collected enough to force a binding public referendum to be held in
August. The referendum will ask the city’s residents if they support
permanently stopping mining licenses from being issued in the Andean
Chocó, the city's northern forest.

If the community members win, the authorities will no longer be able to
grant mining licenses.

Only people living in Quito can participate in the referendum...

[ [link removed] ]But for the rest of us who want to show our support – add your name
here!

Mining lobbyists are very concerned about the possible results of the
referendum and have printed opinion articles full of disinformation about
the benefits of mining. If the referendum bans mining licenses in the
Chocó, Quito will stand as a symbol that a world without more mining is
possible.

The Andean Chocó is located in the northwest of the city of Quito and it
is one of the last remaining forests of the city. Its biodiversity and
endemism have made the Andean Chocó worthy of the status of biosphere
reserve, a designation given by UNESCO. The Chocó is one of the sources of
food and water for the city of Quito and other surrounding cities. 

Annually, the Chocó removes at least 266,000 tons of carbon dioxide from
the Earth’s atmosphere.  

There is a real possibility of winning. It is a golden opportunity that
could set a precedent throughout Latin America and the world. But media
outlets are siding with the mining lobby. Now activists are asking us to
gather support and attention from around the world:

[ [link removed] ]Help make Quito the first mining-free city!

It's crucial that we show international support for this initiative, and
that Quito becomes the first mining-free city of many more!



[ [link removed] ] Sign the petition 



Thanks for all that you do,
Alys, Flora, Vanessa and the team at Ekō


More information:

[ [link removed] ]Chocó Andino de Pichincha Biosphere Reserve, Ecuador, UNESCO.

[ [link removed] ]Ecologistas dicen estar "a un paso" de la consulta por un Quito sin
minería, La Vanguardia, (in Spanish) 31 January 2023.

[ [link removed] ]A la industria minera le preocupa la iniciativa ‘Quito sin Minería’ que
ya tiene luz verde para su consulta, El Universo (in Spanish), 22 February
2023.

 

 

Ekō is a worldwide movement of people like you, working together to hold corporations accountable for their actions and forge a new, sustainable path for our global economy.

Please help keep Ekō strong by chipping in $3. [link removed]