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Lowell and Pact announce partnership in Ecuador to develop artisanal mining project in Shuar communities

October 15, 2021

This press release was originally posted on the Solaris website

Lowell Mineral Exploration Ecuador S.A. (“Lowell” or the “Company”), a subsidiary of Solaris Resources Inc. (“Solaris”), is pleased to announce the Company's partnership with Pact, an international development organization with experience working with Indigenous peoples in the Amazon, to develop the Artisanal Mining Project (the “Project”) that Solaris is carrying out in conjunction with the Shuar Centres of Warints and Yawi.

Federico Velásquez, Vice President of Operations, said, “Solaris once again leads an innovative proposal in the Ecuadorian mining sector by working on an artisanal mining model alongside the development of the initial exploration phase of the Warintza mining project. This Project advances our vision of sustainability in Indigenous communities in support of creating formal employment opportunities. We are proud of this alliance with Pact, an NGO renowned worldwide for its work to benefit underdeveloped communities."

Pact works in partnership with governments, industry partners and stakeholders in artisanal mining to formalize artisanal mining to make it safer, more productive and equitable. Pact will provide consulting and implementation services to support the responsible artisanal mining strategy promoted by Solaris as part of the Warintza Model that the Company has been developing since November 2020 in conjunction with the Shuar communities directly influenced by the Warintza Project. Within this context, ten working groups were held with local stakeholders, including the Ministry of Energy and Non-Renewable Natural Resources and the Association of Mining Engineers of Ecuador (AIME).

On behalf of the National Government of Ecuador, Andrés Wierdak, Director of Small Scale Mining, commented, “The Warintza Project and the work carried out by Solaris in Ecuador is a case study for scholarly research in Ecuador and around the world, as an example of social responsibility and dialogue with local communities and joint efforts between the government, communities and the private sector, for the development of responsible large scale and artisanal mining.”

Caroline Antsey, President & CEO of Pact, comments, “Pact believes that individuals and communities must benefit from the responsible use of mineral resources. We work with companies along the production chain to ensure that environmental, social and governance outcomes are intentionally beneficial to miners and mining communities. We are excited to partner with Solaris, with whom we share the same level of commitment in supporting local communities and artisanal miners through responsible mineral production.”

(From left) Andrés Wierdak, Director of Small Scale Mining in Ecuador, Valentina Socias from Pact, and Federico Velásquez of Solaris sign the agreement. (Credit: Solaris)