Background

Context

In Ecuador, there has been a long history of disputes between Indigenous groups and the government over resource extraction from the land. Ever since oil was discovered in Northern Ecuador in 1960, there have been efforts to exploit the area for industrial growth ever since (Stevens et al, 2014). In 2009, after protests from Indigenous and environmentalist activists, the Ecuadorian government promised to not extract oil from the reserves in Yasuní National Park if the international community could help pay half of its $7 billion loss from potential oil drilling profits. The park was home to thousands of endemic species and also housed the Tagaeri and the Taromenane tribes, who lived in chosen isolation (Eisenstadt & West, 2017). However, despite the $200 million allocated to the Ecuadorian government from international donors, President Rafael Correa in 2013 announced that it was not enough money to recuperate losses and recommenced drilling plans.

"The world has failed us. It was not charity that we sought from the international community, but co-responsibility in the face of climate change."

-President Correa

Over the years, Ecuador has continued to discredit Indigenous groups’ anti-oil concerns such as those of the Achuar and Zapara, and instead has favored those supportive of extraction efforts. Protected Areas are still subject to being drilled if appointed as a matter of “national interest” from the government. Many Indigenous Peoples in Southern Ecuador, such as the Shuar, Achuar, Kichwa, Shiwiar, Andoa, and Sápara, are starting to lose parts of their territories as the Ministry of Non-Renewable Natural Resources auctions off parts of these areas as oil blocks to companies (Stevens et al, 2014).

Article 71 of Ecuador’s Constitution recognizes the rights of nature and protects its intrinsic value. It specifically references the Quechua term for Mother Earth, “Pachamama”, which is the cradle from which life has bloomed and therefore should have the right to be respected for its existence (Becker, 2013). The Constitution also states that the government must protect the rights of Indigenous peoples, such as allowing them to peacefully possess their ancestral lands and to help promote their preservation of biodiversity in the region (Rights and Resources Initiative, 2008). Indigenous activists have been quick to call out the hypocrisy as the Ecuadorian government contradicts its own principles in its search for solutions to jumpstart its economy with its high dependence on petroleum resources. Contestations over oil mining and extraction of the land at the expense of the environment and Indigenous peoples’ rights continue to be a pressing issue in Ecuador to this day.

June 2022 - Protests Erupt

Starting June 13, 2022, the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities in Ecuador (CONAIE), which is the largest Indigenous rights organization in the country and has previously been involved in various political and agrarian reform uprisings, began mobilizing protests across the nation for economic reforms. They demanded lower fuel prices by increasing fuel subsidies, and also limiting the expansion of oil mining onto protected areas and water sources (Osborn, 2022). Over 14,000 Ecuadorians who were mostly Indigenous participated in these protests, blocking roads in order to stop the transportation of fuel and other resources. They would use burning tires, trees, dirt, and other debris in order to achieve this. During these blockages, food prices shot up and Ecuador’s oil export was cut in half, hence CONAIE was able to place pressure on current president Guillermo Lasso to respond to their concerns (Banwait, 2022). Dozens were injured and at least six have died during these protests in occasional violent clashes, including the death of one military officer and several protestors from an attack on a fuel convoy.

The actions of CONAIE ultimately succeeded in shutting down economic activity in the country and getting the government to work with Indigenous leaders towards a solution. After 18 days of protests, the Ecuadorian government and leaders of CONAIE met on June 30, 2022, to sign an agreement for an overall 15 cent reduction in fuel prices and limits on oil production expansion. President Lasso, although initially hesitant because of his ongoing attempts to reduce Ecuador’s deficit with the International Monetary Fund, conceded to cancel a decree that would allow for more oil exploration and instead revise his mining decree to better respect Indigenous peoples’ land rights and work with these groups to further develop economic policies that help combat unemployment and poverty in their communities (Osborn, 2022). The government was given 90 days to deliver these negotiated promises to Indigenous groups, and the deal was signed by the Minister of Government, Francisco Jimenez, Indigenous leader Leonidas Iza, and Monsignor Luis Cabrera as the mediator and head of the Episcopal Conference (Banwait, 2022).

Hence, CONAIE’s mass demonstrations proved to be successful in pressuring the government to address Indigenous concerns about rising fuel prices and extraction of oil on their lands. These agreements mark an important milestone towards improving the livelihoods of Ecuador’s citizens, especially Indigenous Peoples and the protection of their rights, while also taking more care to safeguard the land for its connection to Indigenous communities and its crucial role in upholding sustainability.

“Social peace will only be able to be achieved, hopefully soon, through dialogue with particular attention paid to marginalized communities, but always respecting everyone’s rights.”

-Monsignor Luis Cabrera, Head of the Episcopal Conference

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