CItizens Opposed to Mining Confront Police in the CREA

CItizens Opposed to Mining Confront Police in the CREA

El Tiempo de Cuenca Newspaper

17th May 2007

Community members of the parish Victoria del Portete who are opposed to the presence of mining companies, were involved in a confrontation with the police in the entrance to the Center of Economic Reconversion of Azuay, Cañay and Morona Santiago (CREA), yesterday at midday. The incident occurred when a group of approximately 200 persons entered the CREA, stating that the Mining Dialogue should be suspended as it is not taking the residents of the sector into account, neither the environmental damages that this activity will cause. The insults against the mining companies and police increased, a situation which worsened when members of mounted police positioned themselves in the main doors and prevented the entrance of more demonstrators who had arrived by bus.

The wooden sticks which the demonstrators held their posters, branches of plants located along the Avenue Mexico, were used by demonstrators to confront the police and frighten the horses, with the goal of making them leave from the doors and manage to enter. In the face of the behavior of the demonstrators the police opted to withdraw from the door and permit the entrance.