By Editorial de Acciòn Ecològica on June 3, 2025.
Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Chernobyl, Fukushima: these are names that send shivers down our spines. The first two remind us of the atrocities that can result from a war involving nuclear weapons; the latter two highlight the danger posed by one of the most dangerous technologies in existence: nuclear power.
Disasters, not accidents
Chernobyl represents the most serious nuclear disaster in history, occurring on April 26, 1986, in Ukraine. Estimates of cancer deaths resulting from the Chernobyl accident vary widely, with the most conservative estimates ranging from 30,000 to 60,000 cases. Greenpeace, for its part, claims that the death toll is at least 93,000. In addition, tens of thousands of people were evacuated and have not been able to return to their homes. According to official figures, the amount of radioactive material released in Chernobyl was 500 times greater than that released by the atomic bomb dropped by the US army in 1945 in Hiroshima, Japan. This bomb killed nearly 120,000 people and injured more than 300,000 who suffered the horrific consequences of exposure to atomic energy for decades.
In March 2011, an earthquake in Japan caused the explosion of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant due to failures in the cooling and radiation release systems, according to reports. There was damage to health, radioactive spills into the sea, and contamination of crops even hundreds of kilometers from the site of the incident.
If a nuclear power plant were to be built in Ecuador, a highly seismic country, it could cause an unprecedented disaster in the event of an earthquake.
In recent years, there have been many other nuclear disasters:
These “accidents” include deaths, injuries, displacement, fires, cancer, environmental destruction…
Nuclear waste
Other problems associated with nuclear power plants include those related to reactor decommissioning, cooling, demolition, container disposal, and the construction of storage facilities for radioactive waste. Nuclear waste is known to be highly dangerous material that emits large amounts of radioactivity for thousands of years. Contact with it is lethal to any living being. Nuclear waste is one of the most serious problems facing humanity, and no acceptable solutions exist at present.
Uranium mining
Nuclear energy is not only associated with nuclear disasters. Nuclear energy production is also directly linked to another serious problem: uranium mining. It is noteworthy that at the end of last year, Iran expressed interest in conducting mining exploration in southern Ecuador. In fact, there are indications that this region could contain uranium, which is essential for the development of nuclear energy. Scientific data indicate that this mineral could be found in the well-known Puyango forest and in the Cordillera del Cóndor mountain range. On the Peruvian side of this mountain range, the Canadian-owned company Dorato carried out prospecting activities until it was challenged by the indigenous people of the area, forcing the government to suspend the concessions. The authorities say they will import radioactive uranium, with all the risks that this entails.
Nuclear Ecuador
According to the Ecuadorian government, a nuclear power plant could be an alternative to change the energy matrix based on hydroelectricity and oil; however, it does not take into account the enormous social and environmental risks involved in developing this technology. The nuclear industry is possibly the most dangerous and polluting industry in existence, and radioactive substances are among the most dangerous.
For this reason, major financiers are rejecting this type of investment because of the enormous risks involved, especially safety issues, the handling and disposal of radioactive waste, and the likelihood of accidents.
As an investment with so many risks, the state, i.e., the entire Ecuadorian population, would be obliged to allocate huge sums for insurance. An investment of this magnitude will require more international debt and huge state subsidies, affecting public budgets for education, health, housing, etc.
From every point of view, atomic energy is a mistake, as it distracts attention from the development of truly clean and sovereign energies and creates enormous dependence on the companies that control this technology.
Nuclear energy? NO, thank you!
The government has said it will build the nuclear power plant near a river or the sea. This will pose a lethal threat to the river ecosystem where it is located and contaminate the adjacent water. Will the local populations allow this?
In the context of violence in our country, with criminal groups acting with impunity in various areas and sectors, a nuclear power plant exposes us to greater vulnerability and risk.
Nuclear energy has nothing to do with a just energy transition for people and nature. Why embark on an activity that is so controversial from every point of view? Nuclear energy? NO, thank you!