Mónica Chuji Gualinga, an indigenous-rights activist from the Ecuadorian Amazon community of Sarayacu, supported Rafael Correa in his successful 2006 run for president of Ecuador. And in 2007, she served as his first communications minister. Now, though, Chuji is one of Correa’s fiercest critics on account of a sharp disagreement over mining. Chuji left Correa’s cabinet after six months and won election to the Constituent Assembly, which last year rewrote Ecuador’s constitution and passed various high-profile measures. One measure she helped broker, largely due to environmental concerns, suspended mining in Ecuador. On Jan. 12, a new mining bill was passed by a commission appointed by the now-disbanded assembly to serve as an interim legislative body pending the election of a new Congress in April. Chuji, who is not on the commission, argues that if signed by Correa, the legislation will do irreversible environmental harm by allowing large-scale open-pit mining. Chuji spoke recently with EcoAméricas correspondent Mercedes Alvaro. [Log in to read more]

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