Lowell Announces Partnership with Pact to Develop the Artisanal Mining Project in Shuar Communities
October 15, 2021 - Quito, Ecuador - 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 (“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 ensure safer, more productive and equitable outcomes. 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.”
For more información:
María Fernanda Poveda
Telephone: +593 99 655 6655
Email: maria.poveda@lowellmineral.com
About Lowell Mineral Exploration Ecuador S.A.
Lowell Mineral Exploration Ecuador S.A., an indirect subsidiary of Solaris, promotes the development of strategic alliances with key stakeholders in Ecuador to pave the way for best sustainable practices in responsible exploration.
About Solaris Resources Inc.
Solaris is leading 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-gold project in Ecuador; discovery potential at the Tamarugo project in Chile and the Capricho and Paco Orco projects in Peru; a farm-out agreement with Freeport-McMoRan on the Ricardo Project in Chile; and significant leverage to increase copper prices through a 60% interest in the La Verde joint venture project with Teck Resources in Mexico. For more information, visit www.solarisresources.com.
Cautionary Notes and Forward-Looking Statements
This document contains certain forward-looking statements. All statements except 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 about our intention, our current beliefs, or expectations. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements as the Company cannot guarantee 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. In addition, the forward-looking statements contained in this document are made as of the date of this document and the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any of these forward-looking statements.