CALI, Colombia – Indigenous environmental defenders in Ecuador are increasingly facing threats and violent attacks as violence escalates across the country, activists highlighted during the UN COP16 biodiversity summit in Colombia. Over 200 nations gathered in Cali to discuss global conservation, aiming to implement the Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework which, among other goals, calls for heightened protections for environmental defenders.
Ecuadorian Indigenous activists say threats against their communities have intensified since a 2023 referendum banned Amazon oil drilling. “It’s become a tense and terrible problem in Ecuador,” stated Juan Bay, president of the Waorani community. The surge in violence has coincided with the Ecuadorian government’s declaration of “internal armed conflict” against organized crime.
As COP16 negotiations progress, concerns have emerged about the adequacy of monitoring violence against defenders. Natalia Gomez from EarthRights pointed out that the proposed reporting measures on such killings are “optional and binary,” making comprehensive documentation unlikely.
Amid rising fear, Jhajayra Machoa from CONFENIAE, Ecuador’s primary Amazon Indigenous group, underscored the emotional toll: “It’s very hard to face this situation.” U.N. Special Rapporteur Astrid Puentes urged Ecuador to uphold international standards to protect defenders. The government has yet to report any measures aimed at ensuring the safety of Indigenous environmental defenders.