Yes, sure. Thank you for the question.
What we know from our work in Ecuador is that there are at least 15 Canadian mining companies trying to advance mining projects in Ecuador. Most of these projects are known for their social and environmental impacts. Most of them are denounced by indigenous-encompassing communities because of their environmental impacts. Why is that?
The reason for that is that most of these projects are located in very ecologically sensitive areas, meaning in the Amazon and also in the páramos. The páramos are one of the most unique ecosystems in the Andes, in South America. These ecosystems—the páramos and the Amazon, as you know—are vital in our fight against climate change, yet these are the territories or areas where Canadian mining is trying to advance mining projects. Because of that, communities are saying, “No, we don't want these destructive mining projects in our territories, which not only are going to destroy the territory but are going to contaminate our water.” Also, it causes division within the communities.
That's what we hear from communities over there—