We have been working for several years with the organization DECOIN (Defensa y Conservación Ecológica del Intag) to support the communities of that zone in their efforts do create a prosperous and sustainable future, and to avoid the destruction of their houses, forests, and streams – including entire ecosystems and watersheds – threatened by Ascendant Copper’s “Junín” open-pit copper mining project... Very disturbing facts have come to our attention respecting the apparent persecution of Mr. Carlos Zorrilla, of the Intag region of Cotacachi County in the province of Imbabura.