"QUITO - Ecuadorean referendums to ban oil drilling in a part of the Amazon and mining in a forest outside Quito easily passed, drawing cheers on Monday from Indigenous leaders and environmentalists despite warnings from oil and mining groups about billions of dollars in lost income.

A ban on oil development in part of the Yasuni Amazon reserve passed with just under 59% approval, with nearly all votes counted. A ban on mining in the Choco Andino forest near Quito has 68% support.

The Yasuni vote - which gives state oil company Petroecuador a year to shutter production in the 43-ITT block - is set to result in the loss of about 12% of Ecuador's 480,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) crude oil output.

Petroecuador said in a statement on social media that it would carry out the actions necessary to comply with the voters' decision."

Alexandra Valencia and Julia Symmes Cobb report for Reuters August 21, 2023. [2]