People participate in a protest called by Indigenous, rural and urban groups against the Dundee Precious Metals' Loma Larga mining project and to demand the protection of local waters, in Cuenca, Ecuador, September 16, 2025. REUTERS/Maria Fernanda Garcia
QUITO (Reuters) -Tens of thousands of residents and local leaders in Ecuador's central Azuay province took to the streets on Tuesday to demand the suspension of a mining project by Canada's Dundee Precious Metals, which they say will affect a vital water reserve.
The government of President Daniel Noboa had granted Dundee an environmental license to start building the Loma Larga gold mine there, but as community pressure mounted, the country's energy minister in August suspended the start of construction work until Dundee provides an environmental management plan.
