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Article

1 Feb 2018

Author:
Cuenca Highlife

“Ecuador’s February 4 referendum: What are the questions? What’s at stake for Ecuador?”

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February 1, 2018

Voters across the country go to the polls Sunday to vote “yes” or “no” on questions submitted by President Lenin Moreno. The questions — one of which would bar Correa from running again for president — have sparked heated debate, pitting supporters of Moreno against those of Correa, touch on a number of topics that will shape Ecuador’s political future…The seven referendum questions: …Question five would put restrictions on metal mining. In the question, voters are asked if they favor protecting environmentally sensitive, urban and historic areas from mining. A “yes” vote would outlaw mining in these areas and require an amendment to the Constitution…In 2016, social conflicts regarding mining were a recurring problem for Correa; Shuar communities in the Amazon region, for example, protested the presence of Chinese mining firms operating on their ancestral lands. More recently, the mining town of Zaruma, in El Oro Province, has been in the news because of cave-ins caused by tunnel mining, most of it illegal…Critics of the question, including environmentalists, say it is vague and lacks enforcement mechanisms…Question seven. Oil extraction in the Yasuni National Park is at stake with the seventh and final referendum question. Voters will be asked if they want to limit the area where oil extraction is permitted, protecting more of the park. The question is: ‘‘Do you agree with increasing the intangible zone by an average of 50,000 hectares and reducing the oil exploitation area authorized by the National Assembly in the Yasuni National Park from 1.030 hectares to 300 hectares’’?...As with question five, environmentalists say the question does not go far enough, allowing oil production to continue in parts of Yansuni. They call it a “feel good” question.