What
A delegation of Indigenous leaders from Ecuador’s Amazon will visit Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area the week of June 16, 2025, to raise alarm over a looming oil expansion threat and deepen ties with California frontline and policy communities. They will meet with state government representatives and be available for interviews in English and Spanish.
When
June 16–20, 2025
Key date: June 17th – Report launch in Sacramento
Where
Events in Sacramento and San Francisco Bay Area
(Full schedule and interview availability upon request)
Who
- Juan Bay – President of the Waorani Nation of Ecuador (NAWE), leader of the historic Yasuní referendum campaign
- Jhajayra Machoa – Youth leader of CONFENIAE, A’i Kofan nationality, from a community heavily impacted by oil contamination
- Nadino Calapucha – Youth leader of PAKKIRU, Kichwa nationality of the Pastaza province of the Ecuadorian Amazon
- Nathaly Yépez – Ecuador Legal Advisor, Amazon Watch
- Kevin Koenig – Climate, Energy, and Extractive Industry Director, Amazon Watch
Why now
The visit comes as Ecuador plans to auction 2.3 million hectares of primary rainforest in a new Amazon oil round, including regions near Indigenous territories and the world-renowned Yasuní National Park. The delegation will spotlight:
- Non-compliance with Ecuador’s 2023 referendum to end oil drilling in Yasuni, where operations continue in defiance of a democratic mandate.
- The link to California, a top global importer of oil from the Amazon region and major export destination for crude sourced from Ecuador.
- A new report, to be released June 17, detailing the ecological, legal, and human rights risks of the new oil expansion plans.
The leaders will also highlight shared struggles between Indigenous communities in the Amazon and California’s own frontline communities resisting fossil fuel harm and environmental racism.
NEW REPORT TO BE RELEASED JUNE 17: “Drilling Toward Disaster: Amazon Crude and Ecuador’s Oil Gamble”
The delegation will include the launch of a comprehensive new Amazon Watch report exposing the dangerous implications of Ecuador’s planned Southern Amazon oil round. The report provides a detailed analysis of the political, legal, environmental, social, and financial risks associated with the expansion.
Key findings include
- The planned auction covers up to 14 oil blocks and 2.3 million hectares of contiguous rainforest, threatening Indigenous territories and biodiversity hotspots
- Oil development would violate constitutional rights and recent legal rulings, including a national referendum and Inter-American Court of Human Rights decision
- The government is considering exporting oil via Peru’s high-risk pipeline system, which has a long record of catastrophic oil spills
- California remains a top importer of Amazon crude, underscoring the need for U.S. policy and consumer responsibility
Embargoed copies of the report are available upon request.
Visuals and interviews
Delegates will be available for on-camera interviews in Spanish and English. High-resolution photos and background materials available upon request.
