Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI), an international indigenous organization created to confront criminalization and strengthen Indigenous Peoples’ rights, strongly condemns the excessive use of force by the Ecuadorian State against the demonstrations called by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), which have resulted in at least three deaths, dozens of detentions, and an unknown number of injuries. It also expresses deep concern over recent state initiatives and policies that undermine the collective rights of Indigenous Peoples and Nationalities.
The mobilizations that started on September 18 and concluded on October 22 originated in response to the almost 60% increase in diesel prices, a measure that has aggravated the cost of living and particularly affected indigenous communities dedicated to agricultural production. However, the protests also express a broader rejection of oil and mining projects in areas bordering indigenous territories—including those of Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation (IPVI)—and a series of legislative initiatives and projects that threaten territorial and environmental rights, as well as the self-determination of Indigenous Peoples. The Organic Law for the Strengthening of Protected Areas, approved without the free, prior, and informed consent of the Peoples and Nationalities, stands out among them.
The approval of this law particularly violates Articles 19, 29, and 30 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and various articles of the Ecuadorian Constitution by impacting the right to collective ownership and management of territories, autonomy, and self-determination, as well as enabling the militarization of environmental conservation. For these reasons, on October 8, 2025, eight UN mandates sent a formal communication to the Ecuadorian State expressing concern about the law’s implications and its effects on Indigenous Peoples’ rights.
The state’s response to the protests has been disproportionate and violates fundamental rights. There have been military raids into indigenous communities, tear gas used against people and homes, the use of firearms, arbitrary arrests, legal actions for terrorism, the suspension of indigenous and peasant media outlets, and judicial and financial persecution against leaders of CONAIE and allied organizations, such as Fundación Pachamama and Yasunidos. This crackdown has led to the deaths of community members José Guamán, Efraín Fuerez, and Rosa Paqui, along with dozens of injured and unjustly detained individuals accused of terrorism.
The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) expressed on September 27 its concern about the restriction of freedoms under the State of Emergency, recalling that the Declaration recognizes the rights of Indigenous Peoples to political participation, freedom of expression, association, and assembly (Articles 5, 16, and 18), and urging the Ecuadorian State to guarantee due process, end the persecution, and open a genuine dialogue.
Given the seriousness of these events, IPRI:
- Expresses solidarity with the Indigenous Peoples, nationalities, communities, and communes of Ecuador.
- Demands that the deaths of José Guamán, Efraín Fuerez, and Rosa Paqui be investigated with due diligence, that those responsible be arrested and punished, and that culturally appropriate reparations be provided to their families and communities.
- It demands the immediate release of all persons arbitrarily detained and the closure of criminal proceedings for terrorism against demonstrators and indigenous leaders.
- Condemns the excessive use of force in the face of social protest, and urges the Ecuadorian State to guarantee the rights to life, integrity, freedom of expression, assembly, and peaceful protest.
- Rejects regressive initiatives and regulatory frameworks, particularly the Organic Law for the Strengthening of Protected Areas, for their impacts on the territorial rights of Indigenous Peoples, for failing to obtain free, prior, and informed consent, and for enabling military presence in conservation areas.
- Alerts on the expansion of extractive projects, including oil projects on the border with territories of peoples in voluntary isolation (PIAV), and the rise in illegal mining, which pose a direct threat to the physical and cultural survival of Indigenous Peoples.
- It urges the international community—particularly UN mechanisms and the Inter-American Human Rights System—to persist in urgently monitoring the situation in Ecuador and to support efforts for truth, justice, and reparation.
Respect for the collective rights of Indigenous Peoples is a fundamental principle for countries that claim to be democratic, especially in the case of Ecuador, which is constitutionally recognized as a plurinational and multicultural state. The Ecuadorian State must cease repression, ensure fundamental rights, and fulfill its international obligations under the Declaration and its own Constitution.
