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In Ecuador, the recent introduction of mineral mining led to a conflictive debate on mining and development, particularly Buen Vivir. This article examines the discourses on the miningdevelopment nexus articulated in the conflict around the first large-scale mine of Ecuador, El Mirador. The findings indicate that although the conflict concerns tangible territorial transformations, it is also a struggle over meanings. In this struggle, Buen Vivir runs the risk of becoming an empty signifier. The case of El Mirador illustrates the challenges of advancing Buen Vivir from concept to practice in the context of a search for a post-neoliberal development framework.