The shares of all the miners from the major producers to the junior producers and producer/explorers (ECU) and the pure explorers are being shorted mercilessly by means of naked shorting and sales of phantom shares.

In the last few days I have had lengthy conversations with the CEO of one excellent junior and the IR person of another highly prospective company (which companies shall go unnamed) and was informed that they are aware their share prices are being manipulated and that they are taking steps to attempt to expose and at least reduce the effect of these illegal activities.

This no doubt is at least part of the reason we are seeing such inappropriate and atypical behavior in the share price of ECU in juxtaposition to the price action of the precious metals. I assume the company is aware of it. I do not know if any steps are being taken to attempt to deal with it or even if such steps would be successful. It seems the regulatory bodies are complicit in the scam.

It may take large increases in the prices of gold and silver before enough honest, legitimate buying of the miners' shares is able to overcome the present shenanigans.