Solaris Resources (TSX: SLS; US-OTC: SLSSF) has reached an updated agreement with local communities covering benefits and impacts related to its flagship Warintza copper project in southeast Ecuador.
The improved deal, signed by the Shuar people of Warints and Yawi, emphasizes the importance of constructive dialogue and collaboration between the company and the local groups.
“The signing of this updated impact and benefits agreement (IBA) marks a significant milestone in the social advancement of the Warintza project through our pioneering participatory mining model for sustainable resource development,” Solaris president and CEO Daniel Earlie said in the statement.
The fresh agreement follows the Ecuadorian government’s publication of a manual last month demanding prior consultation with surrounding communities for existing and new mining projects.
The alliance builds on previous agreements between Solaris and Indigenous groups and aims to create projects that support the provision of medical services in remote communities. It also promotes initiatives focused on the development and delivery of intercultural education, as well as training and technical assistance and support for the formalization of artisanal mining in FICSH (Interprovincial Federation of Shuar Centres) territories.
The Warintza deposit was discovered by David Lowell in 2000 but sat dormant for two decades due to a breakdown in social acceptance from local communities. In mid-2019, Solaris undertook extensive dialogue to understand the root causes of conflict and to resolve them. Initial impact and benefits agreements were signed in 2020 and 2022.
Vancouver-based Solaris received in January $130 million in backing from an affiliate of China’s Zijin Mining.
Be the first to comment on "Solaris Resources inks fresh deal with Ecuador communities"