Ecuadorians vote to halt oil drilling in Amazon's Yasuni National Park

Ecuadorians voted to stop oil drilling and exploration in the biodiverse Yasuni National Park in the Amazon rainforest.
Yasuni contains rich biodiversity and is home to Indigenous communities like the Tagaeri and Taromenane tribes.
The referendum passed with around 59% of Ecuadorians voting in favor of halting oil operations in the protected area.
President Guillermo Lasso had advocated for oil drilling but the vote represents a setback for these plans.
Stopping oil production could cost Ecuador billions in lost revenue but preserve the ecological and cultural value of the region.