Nestled amid the Andean mountains, Cuenca — Ecuador’s third largest city — has long been known for its bounteous sources of fresh water....However, over the last decade, its underlying gold and silver reserves have fallen prey to corporate mining interests — a situation that has only grown more critical with the government’s recent announcement that there will be further exploitation of these minerals...On October 22, the authorities of Azuay province...gathered in the mountains, over 11,000 feet above sea level, to unanimously pass a resolution declaring the province’s moor ecosystems “mining-free territories.”...At the core of this asymmetrical battle lie two mining projects promoted by the Ecuadorian government: Rio Blanco and Kimsacocha. Located respectively at the west and south margins of El Cajas National Park — a delicate set of humid moor ecosystems — these two mining projects are a direct threat to local agricultural communities benefiting from this complex web of watersheds. [refers to Junefield Minerals Resources, INV Metals]