Land, mining, and exodus: faces of hidden displacement in Ecuador

Abstract

This essay analyzes the impact of large-scale mining in the Ecuadorian province of Zamora Chinchipe, focusing on internal forced displacement and its differential effects on rural women. From a critical perspective of the extractivist model, it argues that the mining boom in the region, far from generating sustainable development, has reproduced dynamics of territorial dispossession, job insecurity, and environmental degradation. Indigenous and peasant communities have been particularly affected by the reconfiguration of territory, with displacement processes that lack prior consultation and fair compensation. Rural women face higher levels of poverty and exclusion, given their role in natural resource management and community support, which intensifies their vulnerability to the loss of land and support networks. The case of Zamora Chinchipe highlights the contradiction between the discourses of economic development and the commitments made in the 2030 Agenda. It raises the urgency of a just transition that guarantees collective rights, protects territories, and promotes sustainable economic alternatives based on agroecology, the bioeconomy, and the solidarity economy.