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100,000 people marched. The environmental license was revoked. The energy minister and Cuenca's mayor traded insults. But the Loma Larga mining concession is still active. Here's the full 2026 timeline and what happens next.

Ecuador's controversial mining reform bill just cleared committee with 8 votes and heads to the National Assembly floor this week. Meanwhile, Cuenca's Cabildo por el Agua is mobilizing at Parque Calderón to demand lawmakers kill the bill. The stakes? Cuenca's water supply.

Mayor Zamora signed a deal to acquire 105 hectares of critical watershed land bordering Cajas National Park. The $180,000 price tag? Funded entirely by ticket sales from the Carnaval Nicky Jam concert. Sometimes the math really does work out.

The Loma Larga mining concession near Quimsacocha is still active despite the environmental license being revoked. February 2026 status on what this means for Cuenca's water supply and the legal battles ahead.