Land Protected from Mining: First Steps

We bring you the latest updates on the process of acquiring the endangered land, which, thanks to your incredibly generous support, we have successfully obtained. Once again, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to you.

As we mentioned in our previous post, the land acquisition process in Ecuador is accompanied by a complex administrative maze of property transfer, where bureaucratic rules and formalities intertwine. This intricate and financially demanding process can simply be referred to as land legalization.

And now, we would like to inform you about how exactly such a land legalization process in Ecuador unfolds. Some of us may have the impression that our officials occasionally take their time, but once you move to Ecuador, you truly begin to appreciate their time management skills. The process of acquiring land in Ecuador takes several months, primarily because local officials often follow the motto: ‚What you can do today, postpone until tomorrow, or even better, postpone it for another two months.‘

So, what do we need for this adventurous journey of land legalization? Let us guide you through the administrative jungle of Ecuador.

First, we need surveyors who will conduct land measurement and generate a land plan. For this purpose, we need to cut through the dense jungle to be able to mark the boundaries and determine where the land ends and begins. Furthermore, we will require certificates regarding floods and river-related risks, as well as a newly introduced certificate of threats and risks that will reveal what potential dangers our land might face. All these documents need to be synchronized with the property lien certificate and cadastral documents. To add to the complexity, we will be inundated with numerous notarial confirmations and signing every possible detail alongside a .

Once all these obligations are met, we’ll visit the sellers to sign the contract. And that’s just the beginning. Next comes the visit to the property registration office, where we’ll submit all these documents for the registration of the new property, hoping that all our documents, certificates, and other records will be approved. We could also call it the ‚Bureaucracy Race.‘

But after this marathon, we will finally be able to request a land ownership certificate, granting us the right to officially declare our land as legal. Following this journey, we will have an incredible adventure and a story for the evening celebration!

All matters related to the legalization process are currently being handled by Agustin’s sister. As you can see, it is a demanding process from all sides. It requires daily communication with lawyers and regular checks at government offices to keep things moving forward. Officials can easily forget about some part of the documentation, which can cause delays of several months. The person handling this matter must truly possess strong determination and immense patience, the envy of even a Zen monk.

Currently, we have successfully initiated this adventurous process with land measurement by expert topographers. The result is the preparation of documentation for inclusion in the cadastral registry. However, this documentation must be approved in advance by the engineers who measured the land, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the original landowners.

Wish us luck!