“Photography and Human Rights” (Panel discussion: Quito, Ecuador)

QUITO, ECUADOR - I partook in this panel discussion titled Photography and Human Rights for the annual book fair at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador. Four international photographers based in Ecuador spoke about our work in relation to human rights issues, including how photography can be a tool to bring these issues to light, …

“Mujeres de Pied” (Exhibition: Quito, Ecuador)

QUITO, ECUADOR -  I participated in this photo exhibition titled “Mujeres de Pied” (Women on Foot) at the Numismatic Museum in Quito, Ecuador, from March 8-31. Various photographers from Ecuador participated in the exhibition, which featured images of women at work as a way to celebrate women’s unique participation in the economy for International Women’s …

“Feminism and Photojournalism in Latin America” (Exhibition: Antwerp, Belgium)

ANTWERP, BELGIUM - I had the privilege of participating in this photo exhibition in Belgium - "Feminism and Photojournalism in Latin America" - with other talented women photographers from all over Central and South America. The exhibition ran from March-June, 2019 in a space called Mundana in Antwerp, Belgium. It was curated by Javier Perugachi. …

Indigenous women march in Ecuador, vow to ‘defend our territory’ (Mongabay)

PUYO, ECUADOR – About 350 Indigenous women from across the Ecuadorian Amazon gathered here yesterday to celebrate International Women’s Day, and, they say, to fight back against a system that violates their rights. Many women spoke out specifically against the extractive industries operating in their territories. They say these industries have caused forced displacements and …

Ecuador: mujeres indígenas marcharon para exigir el respeto de sus derechos (Mongabay)

PUYO, ECUADOR - Alrededor de 350 mujeres indígenas de toda la Amazonía ecuatoriana marcharon ayer en la localidad de Puyo, provincia de Pastaza, para protestar contra un sistema que aseguran está violando sus derechos. Muchas de ellas se manifestaron en contra de las operaciones de las industrias extractivas que operan en sus territorios y que, …

Mining concessions in Ecuador stalled over compliance with indigenous rights (MongaBay)

QUITO, ECUADOR - Indigenous communities in Ecuador celebrated this week after President Lenin Moreno announced Monday that the government would come down harder on oil and mining companies that don’t comply with the country’s social and environmental laws. New mining concessions are now stalled until the companies can prove they’ve complied with all regulations under …

Signs of lasting trauma in people evicted to make way for giant mine in Ecuador (The Guardian)

TSUNTSUIM, ECUADOR - Months after they were evicted from their homes to make way for a mine, almost half the population of an Ecuadorian village is suffering from psychological damage, experts have said. Psychiatrists found 42% of the indigenous Shuar people of Tsuntsuim village suffering from mental health problems and trauma. Many of the villagers …

What would you do if you had “nature’s pharmacy” in your backyard? (Mongabay)

  TAMIA YURA, ECUADOR – Benjamin Mamallacta Alvarado and his wife Dalia Tapuy were both recently sick, but instead of going to a pharmacy to pick up medication, they went into their backyard, which just happens to be in the Amazon rainforest. Born and raised in the Amazon, Alvarado has been using medicinal plants all …

The Last Days of War: FARC’s ‘Final Conference’ in Pictures (The New Internationalist)

EL DIAMANTE, COLOMBIA - On 2 October, Colombia has a chance to put an end to a 52-year conflict, as it will hold a referendum on its historic agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). FARC are the largest guerrilla movement involved in the Colombian conflict, having started as a Marxist-Leninist peasant force in …