SINANGOE, ECUADOR - Early on the morning of Nov. 15, five Constitutional Court judges arrived by canoe to the Indigenous Cofan community of Sinangoe in Ecuador’s northern Amazon rainforest, wearing rubber boots and loose clothing to weather the intense jungle heat. This visit marked the first time in the country’s history that judges from the …
Historic win by Ecuador’s Waorani could re-shape extraction activities (Mongabay)
QUITO, ECUADOR — The indigenous Waorani community in Ecuador won a historic lawsuit against the government late last month, when a three-judge panel ruled that a consultation process conducted with the community in 2012 was inadequate and violated the community’s rights. The ruling immediately suspends any possibility of selling the community’s territory for the sake …
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How Drones and GPS Are Helping Indigenous People in Ecuador Save the Amazon (The Pacific Standard)
SINANGOE, ECUADOR — The day begins with everyone drinking a big cup of Yoko. A man called Viejo ("old man," in Spanish) carves the bark off a special vine found only in the Amazon highlands and mixes it with water. The resulting brew has a gritty texture and a bitter, earthy taste and gives the …
Indigenous Waorani sue Ecuadorian government over land rights (Al Jazeera)
PUYO, ECUADOR - More than 200 indigenous Waorani people and their supporters marched to the court in the Amazon city of Puyo on Thursday to begin their high-stakes hearing against the Ecuadorian government. After long protesting oil extraction in its territory, the community are suing three government bodies - the Ministry of Energy and Non-renewable …
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Indigenous Organizers Halted Plans for Oil Drilling in the Amazon (In These Times)
PUYO, ECUADOR—Rosa Elvira Chuji Gualingai, 50, came to the city to pressure the government. Watching the traffic outside her office window, she says, “I can't get used to this lifestyle.” The indigenous activist, leader of the Shiwiar community of Kurintsa, was raised deep in the Amazon rainforest, surrounded by towering ceibo and palm trees. With …
Indigenous group sues Ecuador for earmarking its land for oil drilling (Mongabay)
PUYO, Ecuador — An indigenous community in Ecuador has filed a lawsuit against the government for failing to consult with it before putting its territory up for sale to the oil industry. The Waorani community announced the lawsuit Feb. 27 with a historic march through the city of Puyo, capital of the Amazon province of …
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Indigenous Amazonian women demand end to extraction (Mongabay)
QUITO, ECUADOR - Nearly 100 indigenous women of the Ecuadorian Amazon spent five days protesting outside the country’s Presidential Palace last week. They were demanding a meeting with President Lenin Moreno and to personally deliver their political mandate. Authorities eventually agreed to a meeting between the protesters and the president, currently set for March 22. …
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Mujeres indígenas llevan cuatro días esperando por una reunión con el presidente de Ecuador (Mongabay LatAm)
QUITO, ECUADOR - Es el cuarto día que cerca de 100 mujeres indígenas de la Amazonía ecuatoriana protestan en las afueras del Palacio de Carondelet, residencia oficial del presidente del Ecuador. Llegaron el lunes a la ciudad de Quito para exigir una reunión con el mandatario Lenin Moreno y entregarle personalmente un documento que recoge todas …
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 …
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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, …