The province of Azuay contains part of Lucky Minerals ' 100% owned Fortuna project, particularly the epithermal gold targets identified on the Fortuna 8, 9 and 10 concessions.

Damage from a 6.8-magnitude earthquake in the town of Balao in Ecuador's Azuay province on March 18, 2023. Dario Ordonez/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images ...

That same year, voters across Azuay elected Yaku Pérez Guartambel as the provincial prefect, running on an ecology-first and an anti-mining agenda that drew attention well beyond the province.