Photo by @alessandro.cinque In Ecuador, mining has only recently risen as a strategic sector, and some activists say it may be encroaching on Indigenous territories and protected areas. Here, children play outside the city of Loja, on the grounds of the Basílica del Cisne, a pilgrimage shrine. This land, despite being a place of worship, has been concessioned to a mining company by the government, according to local press and NGOs. The children wait for their parents, pilgrims who journeyed to the site. To see more of my work, please follow me @alessandro.cinque.