The deputy minister of mines, Xavier Vera Grunauer, visited this Wednesday the Warintza mining project, located in the Limón Indanza canton of Morona Santiago, which is concessioned to Canadian company Solaris Resources Inc. and its local subsidiary Lowell Mineral Exploration Ecuador SA
The project, which is in the initial exploration stage and is already the existence of a copper district has been confirmedwhich has the potential to become an important source of income for Ecuador, according to a statement from the Ministry of Mines.
The project is made up of 8 mining concessions, 8 camps, 24 platforms in the territory, 11 drilling machines, 102 drilled wells and 81,310 meters drilled.
Lowell is working on obtaining the environmental license to start the advanced exploration phase.
During the visit, the Vice Minister flew over the Warintza project and the drilling platform. He then met with the board and authorities of the Shuar Warints and Yawi communities, settled in neighboring territories.
The community leader and coordinator of the strategic alliance of the Warintza project, Vicente Tsakinp, stated: “We have our territory, we have our wealth. Within that and with that framework of respect, we have tried to work. At no time have we come out against our organization or our leaders.”
In the last three years, the company has invested about $71 million. The Warintza project has 220 suppliers; of them, 171 are local, from Morona Santiago.
One of the benefits of Lowell’s presence in the community is reflected in employment. According to the company, 501 people, representing 89%, are from the Amazon; and of these, the 38% are from the Warints, Yawi and San Miguel de Conchay communities. Indirectly, the company generates 528 additional jobs.
In 2020, Solaris signed with the Shuar communities a Cooperation, Benefits and Access Agreement for the development of the Warintza Project. An addendum is scheduled for tomorrow to reaffirm that commitment. Federico Velasquez, president of Lowell; Vicente Tsakinp; Oswaldo Wachapá, Trustee of Warints; and Marcelo Wachapá, trustee of Yawi, will sign the document. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
