Over 250 organizations from around the world express their solidarity with Ecuadorians in a joint letter published today, opposing IMF-imposed austerity measures and the Ecuadorian government’s firm pro-extractivism agenda. Eleven days of mass protests led by Indigenous and labour organizations brought thousands to the streets and ended on Sunday October 14 when the government revoked its IMF-sponsored Decree 883.
The letter from international organizations denounces the two-month state of emergency (similar to Martial Law) and condemns the state’s brutal use of force against protestors. According to the Ecuadorian Ombusdperson, 1192 people were arrested, 8 people were killed and 1340 injured.
The joint letter highlights the long-standing opposition of Indigenous peoples and rural communities against mineral extraction in their territories, which was poised to be further stimulated by the austerity package. It also criticizes mining companies for using the Ecuadorian debt crisis to promote their investment, including 27 mining companies with headquarters in Canada, China and Australia, noting that “mining will not solve the foreign debt crisis”. It also points out that the debt incurred with the IMF is likely to be used by the government to pay supranational tribunal rulings against Ecuador, like the one in favor of Chevron.
“Australian, Canadian and Chinese mining companies have a key role in the current political unrest and instability in Ecuador. Since 2017, the presence of these companies has increasingly angered communities who have been resisting proposed mines on their land, saying they were never consulted or gave consent to exploration,” says Rebekah Hayden, a member of the Rainforest Action Group in Melbourne, Australia.
In their open letter, international organizations urge Ecuadorian authorities to respect the self-determining decisions of Indigenous peoples, rural communities and local governments to keep their territories free of extractive industries in defense of life and nature.
According to Hal Rhodes, from Yes to Life No to Mining International, “In Ecuador, as in many nations across our planet, indigenous and local communities have been asserting their rights to say no to mining for decades. By definition, extractivism cannot deliver the ‘sustainable’ development promised by industry and government. Mining and other extractive industries might deliver multinational profits, but their deadly impacts are externalised onto communities and ecosystems who bear the true costs. Recognising this, the efforts of communities in Ecuador to protect nature and pursue non-extractive life-ways point the way to socially just, ecologically viable alternatives to extractive so-called ‘development’. They must be supported, not undermined, by a state that professes respect for indigenous rights, and Rights of Nature in its Constitution.”
Together with Ecuadorian partners, including the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), we will continue to remain attentive to the ongoing dialogue process, as well as to press for justice for those killed and a stop to the criminalization of those detained or who continue to be persecuted for their participation in the protests.
“It is necessary that an independent commission be established, to exhaustively investigate the human rights violations committed and identify those responsible.” said Carlos Mazabanda, Amazon Watch’s field coordinator in Ecuador.
Endorsing Organizations (in alphabetical order)
- 10 de Luluncoto (Ecuador)
- 15-M (Spain)
- 350.org Australia (Australia)
- AAU (Germany)
- Academia Cidadã / Citizenship Academy (Portugal)
- Acción Ecológica (Ecuador)
- Acción en Red Madrid (Spain)
- Action et Solidarité pour La Colombie (Canada)
- ActionAid International (South Africa)
- AETL – ASOCIACIÓN DE EDUCACIÓN EN TIEMPO LIBRE (Spain)
- AgroParisTech (France)
- Agrupación Putaendo Resiste (Chile)
- AID/WATCH (Australia)
- Alianza hispanica (Spain)
- Aluna Minga e.V (Germany)
- Amazon Frontlines (France)
- Amazon Watch (USA)
- Amigos de la Tierra (Spain)
- Arteduca (Chile)
- Asamblea Feminista Abierta de Cantabria (Spain)
- Asamblea no a la mina Esquel (Argentina)
- Asamblea por la Vida de Chilecito -La Rioja (Argentina)
- Asociació Impuls (Spain)
- Asociación ambiental e cultural Petón do Lobo (Spain)
- Asociación Comunitaria de Desarrollo Integral (Ecuador)
- Asociación comunitaria del ejido del salto de San Antonio, A. C (Mexico)
- Asociación de ecología social (Costa Rica)
- Asociación de mujeres trabajadoras sexuales liquidambar (El Salvador)
- Asociación galega Cova Crea (Spain)
- Asociación Mujeres Ambientalistas de El Salvador. AMAES (El Salvador)
- ASOCIACIÓN NACIONAL DE INDUSTRIALES DE TRANSFORMACIÓN -ANIT- (Mexico)
- Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos. APRODEH (Peru)
- ASOCIACION SOLPHOENIX.ORG (Spain)
- Asociadas de la Misericordia (Honduras)
- Associação Unidos em Defesa de Covas do Barroso (Portugal)
- Associación Raxcho’ch’ Oxlaju AJ (Guatemala)
- Associazione Hermandad Povegliano Veronese – La Concepcion (Ecuador) ONLUS (Italy – Ecuador)
- Australia-Chile Friendship Society (Australia)
- Australian Earth Laws Alliance (Australia)
- Banasta Mediaciones Arte y Cultura (Colombia)
- Be The Change Australia(Australia)
- Bildu (Basque Country)
- Bios Iguana A.C. (Mexico)
- Bordando por la Paz y la Memoria (Mexico)
- CADEHO (Honduras-Germany)
- Carleton University, Political Economy Department (Canada)
- Caritas Ecuador
- CATAPA (Belgium)
- Confederación Sindical de Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) (Spain)
- Centro de Desarrollo Infantil Silvia y Michele (Ecuador)
- Center for International Environmental Law (USA)
- Centre Génération Emploi (Canada)
- CENTRO DE DERECHOS HUMANOS “FRAY FRANCISCO DE VITORIA, O.P.”, A.C.(Mexico)
- Centro de Estudios del Trabajo (Cedetrabajo) (Colombia)
- Centro de Estudios Migratorios. CEM-Ecuador
- Centro Ecuatoriano de Desarrollo e Estudios Alternativos (CEDEAL)(Ecuador)
- Centro Pastoral Jesús de Nazareth (Ecuador)
- Centro de Estudios de la Región Cuicateca, CEREC (Mexico)
- Cerro Azul Despierta (Argentina)
- Chefs del Ecuador (Ecuador)
- Chez Tiff (Ecuador)
- Ciudadano ď santa cruz de tenerife (Spain)
- Cloud Forest Institute (USA)
- Comisión Diocesana en Defensa de la Naturaleza (CODIDENA) (Guatemala)
- Colectivo Azul (Mexico)
- Colectivo CASA (Bolivia)
- Colectivo de Académicos Sudcalifornianos (Mexico)
- Colectivo de Memòria Histórica de Guatemala
- Colectivo Jurídico Feminista (Ecuador)
- Colectivo Tewan Derechos Humanos y Territorio (Mexico)
- Colectivo Voces Ecológicas COVEC (Panama)
- Colombian Human Rights Network (USA)
- Comisión de Fundadores de la CNT (Uruguay)
- Comité Ambiental en Defensa de la Vida / Alianza contra el fracking (Colombia)
- COMITÉ NACIONAL DE LOS 63 PUEBLOS INDÍGENAS,A.C. (Mexico)
- Comité pour les droits humains en Amérique Latine (CDHAL) (Canada)
- Common Frontiers (Canada)
- Communist Party of India (Mohammad Rafi) (India)
- Comuna Antilla (Puerto Rico)
- Comuna Tola Chica, Webster University, Universidad San Francisco de Quito (Ecuador)
- COMUNÁLISIS (Ecuador)
- Consejo Tiyat Tlali (Mexico)
- Council of Canadians (Canada)
- Consultorios médicos del norte (Ecuador)
- CooperAcción (Peru)
- Coordinador Sistemas Comunitarios de Agua Del Cantón Girón (Ecuador)
- Coordinadora Ni Una Sola Mina (Costa Rica)
- Corporación Geoambiental Terrae (Colombia)
- Costureras de sueños (Mexico)
- Cultrum e.V. (Germany)
- CUSLAR (EUA)
- DECOIN (Ecuador)
- Defend Them All Foundation (USA)
- DEFENSA NNA (Ecuador)
- desacorde~films (Spain)
- Earthworks (USA)
- Ecologistas en Acción (Spain)
- El Señor del Cerro Turismo (Ecuador)
- EMPRESA PÚBLICA MUNICIPAL DE AGUA POTABLE Y ALCANTARILLADO DE TULCÁN (Ecuador)
- Entrefugas Teatro Espontaneo (Argentina)
- Escola de Cases (Spain)
- Escuela Popular de Prosperidad (Spain)
- Estonian Forest Aid (Eesti Metsa Abiks (Estonia)
- Etec Bento Quirino (Brazil)
- FairBindung (Germany)
- Federación de Casas de Juventud de la Comunidad Valenciana España (Spain)
- Federación SETEM (Spain)
- FOA (Ecuador)
- Fondo Ecuatoriano Populorum Progressio (Ecuador)
- Forest Peoples Programme (UK)
- Frente Popular en Defensa del Soconusco (Mexico)
- Friends of the Earth Australia
- Friends of the Earth U.S.
- Friends PeaceTeams (USA)
- Fundación Alas de Colibrí (Ecuador)
- Fundación ALDEA (Ecuador)
- Fundacion Cepaim (Spain)
- Fundación Ecuatoriana Equidad (Ecuador)
- Fundación Gestión Integral para el Desarrollo (GID) (Ecuador)
- Fundación Nuestros Jóvenes (Ecuador)
- Fundación Pachamama (Ecuador)
- Fundación Quimera (Ecuador)
- GAD Municipal de Tulcán (Ecuador)
- Galería Lunasol Berlín (Germany)
- Global Justice Now (UK)
- Global-Connect- Berlin e.V. (Ecuador)
- Greenpeace USA
- Grupo Allpa (Ecuador)
- Grupo de Tecnología Alternativa S.C. (Mexico)
- Grupo Tacuba (Mexico)
- Hermandad associazione Onlus (Italy)
- IFEA- Instituto Francés de Estudios Andinos (Ecuador)
- Igapo Project (France)
- Indemini Báez Chocolate (Ecuador)
- Iniciativas para el Desarrollo de la Mujer Oaxaqueña AC (Mexico)
- Institute for Policy Studies – Global Economy Program (USA)
- Instituto de Desarrollo de la Economía Asociativa (IDEAC) (Dominican Republic)
- International Rivers
- International Women’s Alliance (Canada)
- Internazionalismo a Egiten (Basque Country)
- Island Health (Canada)
- Izquierda Unida (Spain)
- JAPIQAY Memoria y Ciudadanía (Peru)
- JATAM (Indonesia)
- Justiça Ambiental / Friends of the Earth Mozambique
- KAIROS Canada
- Kalikasan Peoples Network for the Environment (Philippines)
- Khan Kaneej aur ADHIKAR (India)
- KIFAS HH (Germany)
