Ecuador | Energy minister says government will not abide by referendum banning drilling in Yasuní NP

After Ecuadorians overwhelmingly voted to ban new oil wells in a prized national park, the government challenged the legitimacy of the referendum and said it would continue drilling.

On Sunday, nearly 60 percent of voters approved halting new oil drilling in Yasuní National Park, which sits on the eastern edge of the Amazon rainforest and is home to two isolated tribes. The park is a hotspot for wildlife, with 121 reptile species, 139 amphibian species, and 610 bird species. The vote was hailed as a historic victory for forest protection.

https://e360.yale.edu/digest/ecuador-oil-drilling-vote