April 19, 2020 – Quito, Ecuador – Lowell Mineral Exploration Ecuador S.A. (“Lowell” or the “Company”), a subsidiary of Solaris Resources Inc. (“Solaris”), maintains and emphasizes its firm commitment to working responsibly with the communities in its area of influence, its workers and suppliers; fully complying with all provisions and protocols issued by the federal Government in the midst of the COVID-19 health crisis.
On April 12, Lowell worked alongside the Ministry of Public Health (MSP) and the Provincial Government, enabling the entrance of the Ministry’s medical brigade into the communities of Warints and Yawi.
On April 18, the Governor of Morona Santiago, Doctor Juan León Pilco, reported the results of medical brigade work at a press conference stating, “Last night I received information about the sample taken from the patient that died in Warints. The results are certified by the Ministry of Public Health and have determined that the cause of death was not coronavirus; rather, a separate respiratory and gastroenteric case. Consequently, we clarify all other interpretations and concerns of some leaders, citizens and institutions related to this case and rule out the existence of coronavirus in the three communities, specifically Warints, in which accusations had been made.”
A link to the video of the Governor confirming no infections in Warints and Yawi can be found here: https://twitter.com/SolarisResource/status/1251928834116476928?s=20
The above declaration is in response to complaints circulating on social media about a document named URGENT ACTION, issued by the Shuar Arutam people and signed by their president, Mrs. Josefina Tunki. This document raised an alert about the contagion of Shuar citizens and participants of the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC), held in Canada in early March.
Further, and for the knowledge and peace of mind of all members of the general public, and the community members in our areas of influence with whom we work and interact with based on the principles of mutual respect and compliance with our rights, it is important to report that Lowell has complied with all provisions and protocols established by the Federal Government in regard to the Coronavirus pandemic. The aforementioned regards mobility and citizen isolation in accordance with Decree No. 1017 of March 16, as well as compulsory preventive isolation in accordance with the Inter-Ministerial Agreement between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Human Mobility and the Government Ministry of the Republic of Ecuador of March 12, 2020.
Likewise, Lowell is in compliance with government provisions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to the strategic sectors determined in Resolution No. MERNNR-MERNNR-2020-0004- provisions of the Mining Regulation and Control Agency (ARCOM), on the implementation of the Action Plan and Protocol for the Mining Sector against the COVID-19 Health Emergency.
Lowell is ready to coordinate any request made by the respective authorities in this crisis.
Lowell is the legal holder of the mining concessions duly granted by the Republic of Ecuador. The concessions are current, and the company holds all legal and community permits necessary for the execution of its activities, demonstrating that all regulatory and community obligations have been met.
For Further Information:
María Fernanda Poveda
Direct: +593 99 655 6655
Email: maria.poveda@lowellmineral.com
About Lowell Mineral Exploration Ecuador S.A.
Lowell Mineral Exploration Ecuador S.A., an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Solaris, promotes the development of strategic alliances with key stakeholders in Ecuador to pave the way for sustainable best practices of responsible exploration.
About Solaris Resources Inc.
Solaris is advancing a portfolio of copper and gold assets in the Americas, which includes: a high-grade resource with expansion and additional discovery potential at the Warintza copper and gold project in Ecuador; discovery potential on the grass-roots Tamarugo project in Chile and Capricho and Paco Orco projects in Peru; exposure to US$130M spending / 5-yrs through a farm-out agreement with Freeport-McMoRan on the Ricardo Project in Chile; and significant leverage to increasing copper prices through the 60%-interest in the development-stage La Verde joint-venture project with Teck Resources in Mexico. For more information, please visit www.solarisresources.com.
Cautionary Notes and Forward-looking Statements
This document contains certain forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. The use of the words “may”, “expect”, “will” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements include statements regarding our intent, or our beliefs or current expectations. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements since the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Furthermore, the forward-looking statements contained in this document are made as at the date of this document and the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any of these forward-looking statements.