In August, Ecuadorians will have to choose between indigenous and environmental interests and billions of dollars in economic revenues in two referendums that will decide the fate of oil and mining projects in key parts of the country, Mining.com reported.
If it votes to halt oil and gas production in block 43-ITT of the Yasuni Nature Reserve in the Amazon region, the South American country will lose 480,000 barrels of oil per day, A local referendum in Quito will put an end to mining in the Choco Andino forest area, involving six gold mine rights.
Environmentalists and communities around the site say the mining ban is necessary to protect nature and combat climate change. In the case of the Yasuni vote, it was able to protect some of the Waorani indigenous people, who prefer solitude.
But those in the oil and mining industries say Ecuador's struggling economy needs the industry to prop it up, or else illegal mining and deforestation will follow.
Outgoing President Guillermo Lasso called early elections after Congress tried to oust him, but the country has failed to boost oil production or attract more mining investment due to worsening violence and social problems.
If both referendums pass, his successor will face a complicated financial situation.
"We want to keep our territory safe and healthy. They promised that oil would bring health and education, but we have seen nothing, there is no development, "Ene Nenquimo, a leader of the indigenous Waorani people, told Reuters. "The government only sees trees from its desk...... But we live here."
According to Ecuador's Environment Ministry, the Yasuni region has 650 species of trees per hectare (2.5 acres), more than in all of North America, as well as hundreds of birds, mammals, reptiles and birds.
A survey of clients by Santiago Perez, head of pollster Clima Social, showed that voters appeared to be leaning toward a "yes" vote in both referendums.
"I think as people get more information and learn more about Yasuni and Giocoantino, they are inclined to vote yes," he said.
Petroecuador, the state oil company, says Yasuni's passage will cost the country $13.8 billion in lost revenue over the next 20 years.
Ramon Correa, the company's director, told reporters in mid-July that a maximum of 39 Wells were deployed on each platform in the ITT block to minimize footprint.
"The park has been protected to the maximum extent possible," Correa said.
The other two blocks in the region are not affected by the referendum result.
Former President Rafael Correa was forced to approve the ITT field after efforts to raise international funds in exchange for a moratorium on development failed.
Despite advances in technology and increased protection, Yasuni's oil development still has an environmental impact and threatens the lives of residents, including those who have voluntarily left town, said Pedro Bermeo of the environmental group Yasunidos. The group has been pushing for a referendum for 10 years.
"They told us there would be no roads, no power plants, no open fires, but now the impact is huge," Bermeo said.
Although no specific time frame was given, Asunidos said that the eventual complete shutdown of the ITT block could avoid 400 tons of CO2 emissions.
Petroecuador says there are no open fires, that its roads are environmentally friendly and that it covers only 0.01% of the reserve's 1m hectares (2.5m acres).
Ecuador's mining association said that while a major project in Australia's SolGold was moving forward, the halt to mining would affect $1 billion in investment over the next two years.
Last year, mining was Ecuador's fourth-largest export earner, with $2.8 billion in exports, behind oil, bananas and shrimp.
"It would be immoral to shut down an industry that creates many opportunities because of a misplaced fear," said Maria Eulalia Silva, president of the confederation, adding that banning legal production was unlikely to stop animal trafficking, illegal mining or logging.
But residents say mining would threaten high-altitude wetlands, water and animals such as spectacled bears.
"Mining will cause water pollution, extraction and destruction of the soil," said Morelia Fuentes, a resident of a small farming community in the forest. "We are fighting for a healthy life."
