INDIGENOUS RIGHTS AND ENVIRONMENT DEFENDER AT RISK AMID GOVERNMENT ATTACKS IN ECUADOR

A prominent human rights lawyer, Pablo Fajardo Mendoza, was falsely accused in front of the National Assembly on April 26 of being an “international criminal” by the Ecuadorian Minister of Energy and Mines. In an earlier interview with local news outlet, La Barra Espaciadora, the Minister alleged that Pablo’s climate justice work “has made Ecuador look bad”.

These public statements contribute to heightened hostility that put Pablo and other members of his organization at increased risk of physical attacks.

Pablo and his litigation team at the Union of People Affected by Texaco (UDAPT), are involved in legal proceedings against the environmental impacts of oil extraction in Lago Agrio. They represent  Indigenous and peasant leaders, and over 33,000 people whose rights are being negatively impacted by the operations of oil companies in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

This human rights work has led to repeated threats and intimidation, prompting Amazon Watch to list Pablo Fajardo Mendoza as an “individual at risk”. The Ecuadorian government has an obligation to ensure a safe environment for the defense of environmental rights. This is vitally important amid the climate crisis.