VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Dec. 10, 2007) - Corriente (TSX:CTQ)(AMEX:ETQ) announces that the Ministry of Environment in Ecuador has approved the Environmental Impact Assessment ("EIA") of the planned port operation in Machala, which is designed to act as a shipping facility for all Corriente copper concentrates to be produced in Ecuador.

Corriente owns a 27 hectare port site on the Santa Rosa Channel in Machala, which is connected to the Mirador project by a 400 km paved highway. Receipt of the EIA is an important part of the overall Mirador project approval process and provides the key access for a Pacific shipping route for copper concentrates.

ABOUT CORRIENTE

Corriente is moving towards construction of a starter operation at its Mirador copper-gold operation. Mirador is one of the few new, sizeable copper projects available for near-term production. Corriente controls a 100% interest in over 50,000 hectares located within the Corriente Copper Belt, Ecuador. The Belt currently contains four copper and copper-gold porphyry deposits: Mirador, Mirador Norte, Panantza and San Carlos. Additional exploration activities are ongoing, as six additional copper and copper-gold exploration targets have been identified in the Corriente Copper Belt to date.

Kenneth R. Shannon, CEO

Certain statements contained in this News Release constitute forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company's plans to materially differ from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statements were made, and readers are advised to consider such forward-looking statements in light of the risks set forth in the company's continuous disclosure filings as found at www.sedar.com.

Disclosure statements as required by National Instrument 43-101 are available at our website www.corriente.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Corriente Resources Inc. Mr. Dan Carriere Senior Vice-President (604) 687-0449 (604) 687-0827 (FAX) Email: copper@corriente.com Website: www.corriente.com