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QUITO, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Ecuador's Constitutional Court
late on Friday denied for a second time a request by activists
to hold a public vote on whether to ban mining in the Andean
country's mineral-rich Azuay province, where several mining
projects are in development.
Azuay's prefect, Yaku Perez, who submitted the request, said
gold and copper mines threaten communities' water sources and
damage the environment.
The court, which in September ruled against Perez for the
first time, unanimously decided that the public vote proposal
was not constitutional.
"Incredible to understand that a genuinely democratic
initiative can be blocked by the mining empire," Perez said on
Twitter.
Ecuador's Energy Ministry said in a statement the government
"reaffirms its commitment to promote responsible, regulated and
controlled mining in all Ecuadorean territory."
(Reporting by Jose Llangari;
Writing by Angus Berwick;
Editing by Sandra Maler)
