Article

The San Carlos-Panantza copper mining project is a planned open-pit mining operation in Ecuador, covering 38,458 hectares. The project is led by a consortium of two Chinese companies, China Railway Construction Corporation and Tongguan Nonferrous Metals Group, which acquired the Canadian firm previously exploring the site in 2010.

Indigenous Shuar peoples have opposed the project since its inception, with significant protests following the 2016 eviction of the Nankints community. Tensions have continued, including a mining camp burning in 2020 and a 2022 Constitutional Court ruling that supported the opponents due to inadequate consultation.