Three years after Ecuadorians voted overwhelmingly to protect Yasuní National Park from oil extraction in one of the most significant environmental referendums in Latin American history, the authorities have yet to fully implement the result of the vote. At the same time, members of the YASunidos collective are facing disproportionate financial penalties for their participation in the campaign.
The one-year deadline established for the gradual and orderly withdrawal of oil operations expired in August 2024. However, oil extraction continues and the plan submitted by the government to the Constitutional Court proposes extending the shutdown process until 2034.
“Three years ago, millions of people made history by voting to protect Yasuní. Today, those who dedicated years of their lives to securing the park’s protection are facing fines of $18,000. This is clear harassment of civil society,” said Ana Piquer, Amnesty International’s Americas Director.
Three years ago, millions of people made history by voting to protect Yasuní. Today, those who dedicated years of their lives to securing the park’s protection are facing fines of $18,000. This is clear harassment of civil society.”
Ana Piquer, Amnesty International’s Americas Director.
Yasuní defenders are being punished for defending It
The sanctions imposed on two members of the YASunidos collective illustrate the growing restrictions faced by Ecuadorian civil society in carrying out its work defending human rights, the environment, and climate justice. They also highlight the deterioration of civic space under President Noboa’s administration.
YASunidos is a citizen-led collective that has spent more than a decade defending Yasuní National Park from oil exploitation and played a key role in the process that culminated in the August 2023 popular referendum.
Located in the Ecuadorian Amazon, one of the most biodiverse regions in the world, the park is a protected area covering 10,200 km
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