Hello Joe,
The statement issued by ARU today says that the drilling will be stopped in a responsible way...which might mean "finish the holes that you are presently drilling...and then don't start drilling any new ones, until the new laws are in place"
As for ARU response to the Mining Mandate stoppage...I think that ARU had to stop their work, just to show that ARU isn't being given special status over the other miners...Correa just wants everyone to look like they are complying with their new laws, and that no one is being given " a free ride" as compared to all the others.
I believe the Mandate process will be accelerated by the government from this point on...they just needed to get everyone to the same "starting line" before the race started....
Just my thoughts on this morning's news,
Long for Cash