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Exhibit 31.1 

Certification Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-OxleyAct of 2002 

I, Kenneth R. Shannon, certify that: 

1. 

I havereviewed this annual report on Form 40-F (this "Report") of Corriente ResourcesInc. (the "Registrant"); 

2. 

Based on myknowledge, this Report does not contain any untrue statement of a material factor omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in lightof the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading withrespect to the period covered by this Report; 

3. 

Based on myknowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included inthis Report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition,results of operations and cash flows of the Registrant as of, and for, theperiods presented in this Report; 

4. 

TheRegistrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing andmaintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (asdefined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the Registrant andhave: 

a.

Designed suchdisclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls andprocedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that materialinformation relating to the Registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries,is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during theperiod in which this Report is being prepared; 

b. 

Designed suchinternal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control overfinancial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonableassurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparationof financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generallyaccepted accounting principles; 

c. 

Evaluated theeffectiveness of the Registrant's disclosure controls and procedures andpresented in this Report our conclusions about the effectiveness of thedisclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by thisReport based on such evaluation; and 

d. 

Disclosed inthis Report any change in the Registrant’s internal control over financialreporting that occurred during the period covered by this Report that hasmaterially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, theRegistrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and 

5. 

TheRegistrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our mostrecent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to theRegistrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the Registrant’s board ofdirectors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): 

a. 

Allsignificant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation ofinternal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely toadversely affect the Registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize andreport financial information; and 

b. 

Any fraud,whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have asignificant role in the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

| Date:  March 30, 2009 | /S/ KENNETH R. SHANNON                       |
|----------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|                       | By:  Kenneth R. Shannon                                                                                                                               |
|                       | Title:  Chairman and Chief Executive    Officer                                                                                                       |

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