A mining referendum is a direct and universal vote in which an entire electorate is invited to vote on a mining proposal. Mining referendums have been held in Tambo Grande, Peru in 2002,[1] Esquel, Argentina in 2003,[1][2] and Cuenca, Ecuador in 2021.[3][4][5] In each of the three cases the local community rejected the establishment of new mines in their territory.[1][3]

In 2022 activists in Quito, Ecuador gathered 380,000 signatures to petition a mining referendum to block a mining project in the forests of Chocó Andino.[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Wagner, Lucrecia (2019). "Propuestas de inversiones chinas en territorio mapuche: resistencias a la minería metalífera en Loncopué" [Proposal of chinese investments in mapuche territory: resistances to metallic mining in Loncopué]. Estudios Atacameños (in Spanish). 63. doi:10.22199/issn.0718-1043-2019-0028. hdl:11336/126638.
  2. ^ Urdinez, María Victoria (2007). Mecanismos de participación y control ciudadano: 'El plebiscito en Esquel. IV Jornadas de Jóvenes Investigadores. Instituto de Investigaciones Gino Germani, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires
  3. ^ a b "Votantes respaldan prohibición a la minería en ciudad ecuatoriana de Cuenca: alcalde". Reuters (in Spanish). 2021-02-08. Retrieved 2023-01-28.
  4. ^ Castro, Mayuri (October 27, 2020). "Court allows referendum on mining in the Ecuadoran Andes to go forward". Mongabay. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  5. ^ "En Cuenca, el 80,9% apoya cese de actividad minera, según el CNE". Primicias (in Spanish). 8 February 2021. Archived from the original on 11 February 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  6. ^ "Habitantes de capital de Ecuador solicitan a corte electoral referendo para limitar la minería". Euronews (in Spanish). 2022-10-24. Retrieved 2023-01-28.