QUITO, Feb 27, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Ecuador's parliament approved a mining law on Thursday criticized by environmentalists for allowing extraction in an area of the Galapagos Islands, a famed archipelago with unique flora and fauna.

With 77 votes in favor and 70 against, the National Assembly gave the green light to the law promoted by the right-wing government of President Daniel Noboa, which seeks to encourage investment in the mining sector.

The text allows the extraction of rock materials in an area of the Galapagos Islands, a tourist gem about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) off the coast of Ecuador, albeit outside the boundaries of its national park.

The archipelago is a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its unique flora and fauna, and is where British scientist Charles Darwin developed his theory of evolution.

The law "strengthens controls and regulations on extractive activity, with the aim of combating illegal mining," the parliament, in which the government holds a majority, said in a statement.

Opposition lawmaker Veronica Iniguez criticised the passing of the law.

"We're going to see how the Galapagos Islands become a quarry," she said, also raising concerns about Amazonian territories and the paramos, high-altitude Andean ecosystems.

Some 300 people marched against the law around the Constitutional Court in capital Quito, wearing masks of the faces of assembly members who voted in favor.

The protesters held signs with slogans including "Noboa, miner, life comes first" and "The land is not for sale."

CONAIE, the country's largest Indigenous organization, warned in a statement that the law would harm environmental protection and increase the risk of river pollution.