Killing of EHRD in Sucumbíos; Escalating attacks on press freedom

Introduction

Ecuador’s deepening security crisis fuels impeachment battle over interior minister

Ecuador is facing a convergence of mounting violence, sweeping emergency powers and political confrontation, as opposition legislators push to impeach Interior Minister Mónica Palencia over her handling of the country’s spiralling security crisis.

On 3rd October 2024, President Noboa extended the state of emergency for 60 days across eight provinces, including the capital Quito, as the country struggles with soaring violence linked to organised crime. The measure includes curfews in 20 localities and grants the military and police sweeping powers.

The escalation follows a dramatic reversal in homicide rates. After Ecuador reduced its homicide rate from 18 per 100,000 in 2010 to 6 per 100,000 in 2017 through a gang pacification programme, the trend has reversed dramatically in recent years. Coastal cities such as Durán, Guayaquil and Esmeraldas now drive the surge, combining high poverty, informal economies, land disputes and weak public services.

Since January 2024, when President Noboa declared an “internal armed conflict” and labelled organised crime groups as “terrorists”, more than 120,000 joint police and military operations have taken place, resulting in nearly 35,000 arrests. Many detainees were presented as “alleged offenders” (“presuntos delincuentes”), undermining the presumption of innocence.

Amnesty International has documented multiple allegations of serious human rights violations committed, including arbitrary detentions, torture and other ill-treatment in prisons, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial executions. Official data confirms that between January and July 2024, the Attorney General’s Office registered 12 reports of possible extrajudicial executions, four enforced disappearances, and 95 cases of alleged torture—figures already exceeding those reported in the previous year.

It is against this backdrop that Ecuador’s opposition-controlled Congress has launched proceedings to remove Interior Minister Palencia. Legislators close to former president Rafael Correa accuse her of failing to contain drug-related violence and of presiding over serious rights violations. On 23rd October 2024, during the session of the National Assembly, only 77 of the 133 legislators voted in favour of her dismissal, falling short of the 92 votes required.

UN Committee Against Torture calls for protection of journalists and human rights defenders

In July 2024, the UN Committee against Torture reviewed Ecuador’s record in implementing the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The Committee highlighted some concerns around the harassment, intimidation and threats against indigenous and Afrodescendant leaders, other environmental activists and journalists.

It made recommendations in its Concluding Observations (CAT/C/ECU/CO/8), including:

• To adopt measures to ensure that journalists and human rights defenders can carry out their legitimate work in an environment free from criminalisation, threats, reprisals, violence and other forms of harassment.
• To investigate all incidents of harassment and attacks against human rights defenders and journalists promptly, thoroughly and impartially. Perpetrators must be prosecuted and sanctioned, while victims should receive appropriate reparation.

Association

Killing of environmental human rights defender (EHRD) in Sucumbío

On 5th October 2024, EHRD Alejandro Lapo Tandazo was gunned down in Patria Nueva, Sucumbíos province, Ecuador. Lapo, who worked with the Scalabrinian Mission and belonged to the community platform opposing the operations of the Canadian company Gran Tierra Energy, had denounced the company’s non-compliance with agreements and defended environmental and community rights.

Witnesses reported that the community had met in the park at 6:00 pm, joined by local authorities, company representatives and residents. Just after 7:20 pm, gunfire broke out. Three people were killed: two inside a house and another who tried to run but was chased down. Minutes later, in front of the gathering, a man beside Lapo pulled a gun and shot him in the head. He died instantly. A woman standing nearby was also injured. As they fled, the attackers shouted they would be back.

The Alliance of Human Rights Organisations (Alianza de Organizaciones por los Derechos Humanos) of Ecuador stated that the murder demonstrates the Ecuadorian State’s failure to guarantee a safe environment for human rights defenders, particularly in territories affected by extractive industries. The organisations emphasised that defenders play a crucial role in sustaining democracy and protecting human rights and the rights of nature. They stressed that when attackers obstruct or eliminate defenders, they harm society as a whole.

The Alliance urged the Attorney General’s Office to investigate the case with due diligence, applying the heightened duty of protection owed to human rights defenders under international standards. They called on prosecutors to pursue lines of investigation linked to Lapo’s role as a defender, remove obstacles to justice, guarantee the safety of witnesses and those involved in the proceedings, and identify both perpetrators and those who ordered the attack.

Militarisation of communities opposing mining

On 28th October 2024, authorities deployed at least seven military trucks and several vehicles with covered licence plates to Palo Quemado, Cotopaxi province. Officials of the Ministry of the Environment accompanied the deployment. The action coincided with a controversial environmental consultation on the La Plata mining project, promoted by the Canadian company Atico Mining Corporation. Residents had expressed opposition, citing environmental and social concerns, and perceived the military presence as creating a hostile environment amid a nationwide blackout and energy crisis.

Civil society organisations, including Ecuador’s largest and most influential Indigenous organisation, the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas del Ecuador, CONAIE), condemned the militarisation and reported the criminalisation of campesino, Montubio and Indigenous communities in Palo Quemado.

They urged Atico Mining to end harassment and litigation against community members, suspend operations and withdraw from the area. They also called on the government to annul the environmental consultation and cancel the inter-ministerial agreement designating Reserved Security Areas around 14 mining projects, including La Plata.

The events form part of a wider pattern. In March 2024, following an earlier failed consultation attempt in July 2023, the government restarted the process, provoking protests. Military and police forces responded with repression, leaving at least 15 people injured, one person in a coma. More than 70 environmental defenders have been criminalised for defending their land.

As previously reported, the La Plata state-backed operation project covers 2,222 hectares and aims to extract zinc, copper, silver and gold, using underground mining. Palo Quemado and two nearby towns sit directly in its path. Communities, who have opposed mining for decades, warned it would devastate water sources, pollute air and water, and undermine traditional livelihoods.

Criminalisation of environmental defenders for opposing a mine linked to the family of Ecuador's president

On 15th May 2024, the Criminal Guarantees Court of Bolívar sentenced six environmental human rights defenders of Las Naves canton to three years’ imprisonment and a fine of USD 600 each, for the offence of “unlawful association.” The convicted activists oppose the Curipamba–El Domo copper and gold mining project, in which a company linked to the family of President Daniel Noboa holds a 9.9 per cent stake since 2019, through the ownership of 75 per cent of the mine.

The judgment noted the existence of tension between the company and local communities and referred to alleged incidents involving whips, spears, nails placed on roads, and damage to vehicles and machinery. However, contradictions emerged in testimonies, including from police officers, who acknowledged the absence of material evidence from searches. Some of the witnesses had links to the mining company, raising questions about the impartiality of the evidence. The defence, led by lawyer and former presidential candidate Yaku Pérez, argued that the court disregarded these inconsistencies and ignored the defendants’ position.

The Curipamba–El Domo project obtained its environmental licence for the exploitation phase in January 2024, under the Noboa administration, with operations expected to begin by 2027. Communities reported that the environmental consultation was not free or inclusive, noting the presence of police and military during the process. Human rights organisations, including Acción Ecológica, Inredh, Proyecto Dulcepamba and the Cantonal Water Defence Front of Las Naves, described the conviction as an act of criminalisation designed to silence environmental defenders protecting water sources and territories in Bolívar province.

Defamation case against community leader highlights risks of criminalising dissent

On 20th June 2024, Rocío Bastidas, a community leader in Quito, appeared in court over a defamation complaint lodged by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC). Bastidas, who has led efforts to defend the Hotel Quito as a heritage site, opposes the company’s plan to redevelop it into a commercial complex.

The case stemmed from allegations that she had “discredited” or “dishonoured” the company during an interview on Radio Pichincha on 18th November 2023. The CRBC, which owns the hotel, accused her of defamation under Ecuador’s Penal Code—a charge that could have carried a prison sentence.

Bastidas learned of the case by email on 16th February 2024, though the hearing was delayed twice before proceeding in June. According to legal experts, after repeated postponements, the complainant did not attend the trial hearing. However, an interpreter was present, and three lawyers appeared on his behalf —seen by supporters as an attempt to intimidate Bastidas and discourage Quito residents from challenging the redevelopment project.

The CRBC’s legal representative eventually withdrew the case. The decision is seen as a small but significant victory to protect the Hotel Quito, an emblematic landmark of the city.

Indigenous Kitu Kara secure legal victory for Machángara River

On 5th July 2024, a court issued a ruling recognising the rights of the Machángara River, which flows through Quito. The lawsuit was filed by the Indigenous Kitu Kara people in response to severe pollution levels, with support from citizens’ groups, academics and former municipal officials.

The court held the Municipality of Quito responsible for failing to prevent the discharge of untreated wastewater into the river, noting that oxygen levels in some stretches were critically low due to contamination. The ruling obliges the municipality to clean up the river and to design a methodology for public education on the protection of nature.

The municipal government opposed the case from the outset, attempting to question the complainants’ legal representation and proposing projects without consulting affected Indigenous communities. During the proceedings, the mayor highlighted plans for wastewater treatment plants, including one on ancestral lands, which raised concerns about the violation of rights to consultation and environmental protection.

After the judgment, the municipality appealed and launched a public and online campaign to contest the ruling. Despite this, the plaintiffs remain confident that higher courts will confirm the decision, given the scale and clarity of the environmental violations identified.

The Machángara ruling builds on earlier precedents, such as a similar decision regarding the Monjas River. It provides a legal tool for other communities to pursue recognition of their rivers as subjects of rights.

Expression

Media under pressure

Ecuador’s media climate grew more harsh from June to September 2024, with watchdog Fundamedios tallying 21 aggressions in June, 8 in July, 12 in August and 10 in September, totalling 151 for the year. Since President Daniel Noboa assumed office on 23rd November 2023, 170 attacks have been recorded, with state officials driving many of them.

Some of the cases are summarised below:

• On 8th June, sports journalist Belén Enríquez, a supporter of Deportivo Quito, received threats after she commented on violence committed by members of the club’s barra brava against players and their families. Enríquez reports that a faction of the barra brava has threatened and intimidated her systematically for nine years. Among the messages Enríquez received, she was told that they knew which radio station she worked for and that they would look for her. The messages also stated that they knew the colour associated with people from that station and that they would search for them in the studios. On this occasion, the threats targeted not only her but also the outlet and the programme she produces.
• On 10th June, the governor of Esmeraldas, Javier Buitrón, publicly vilified Cristian Guzmán, a journalist from Telecosta, during a telephone call after Guzmán published a report in which former mayor Tomás Restrepo alleged that two government officials had used his name to conduct operations and seize property. Buitrón threatened to “make public that they [went] to the Governor’s Office on their knees to seek help with the Gran Sorteo Familiar, those offenders”. The governor alleged that those producing the programme are “offenders” and that the journalist received money from it, a claim that Guzmán denied.
• On 12th June, broadcaster RTU cancelled the programme Los Irreverentes, hosted by journalists Sol Borja, Fabricio Vela and José Luis Cañizares. Fundamedios reported, based on unofficial information, that the Government pressured the channel to cancel the show because of its critical content. RTU sources denied this and cited commercial reasons.
• On 13th June, police officers assaulted a reporting team from Radio Pichincha during a peaceful sit-in outside the Israeli Embassy in Quito. A cameraman received pepper spray directly in his eyes, which required medical attention.

• On 18th July, the governor of Santa Elena, Freddy Tamayo, threatened several media outlets during an interview with Radio Náutica. He stated that he had requested the withdrawal of frequency concessions from radio stations and digital portals he considered “not honest, ethical or moral”, adding that “unfortunately there is no law to silence them.” When asked about the implications for press freedom, Tamayo replied: “Your right ends where mine begins.” Tamayo also alleged that some media outlets had demanded payments in exchange for favourable coverage, presenting supposed price lists for different levels of reporting. He further claimed that certain outlets had insulted him.
• On 29th July, the Bolívar Court of Justice upheld a sentence against journalist Jonathan Quezada of Guaranda, confirming 15 days of imprisonment, a fine of 25 per cent of his basic salary and an obligation to apologise to Judge Hernán Chérres. Quezada had investigated allegations of corruption in judicial institutions and had confronted Chérres in December 2023, after which the judge filed a complaint for “discredit or dishonour” under Article 396 of the Penal Code. The Guaranda Criminal Court convicted him on 20th May 2024, and Quezada appealed. During the appeal hearing, Chérres requested a harsher penalty, but the Court rejected that request and ratified the original sentence.
• On 9th August, journalist Segundo Cabrera from Azuay received a threatening phone call after he published a report on corruption, illegal mining and insecurity in Camilo Ponce Enríquez, located in the south centre of Ecuador. The caller did not speak but played gunshot sounds.
• On 31st August, journalist Franklin Vega reported on his personal X account that firefighters in Itulcachi, northeast of Quito, had battled a wildfire overnight without receiving food or water from the Fire Department. He also questioned when authorities would confirm whether the fires were intentional. In response, Major Fernando Sánchez publicly insulted Vega on X, calling him “idle” and stating that his information was false, as firefighters had adequate provisions. Sánchez later escalated his remarks, writing: “I don’t know if the fires are provoked, but if so, here is a suspect.” Vega described this comment as particularly concerning, given its insinuation.
• On 23rd September, journalist Yalilé Loaiza became the target of coordinated online attacks after she shared two critical investigations: one by La Defensa on the energy crisis and another by Periodistas sin Cadenas on state censorship. Following her posts, more than ten accounts accused Loaiza of receiving funding from political groups allegedly aligned with “correísmo” and from Russia. Loaiza described the accusations as a government-linked strategy to discredit critical voices. She stated that she has no ties to foreign outlets and that her record demonstrates independent and transparent journalism. Fundamedios condemned the attacks as systematic disinformation campaigns and pledged to take all necessary actions to report and neutralise them, reaffirming support for Loaiza’s professional work.

Online harassment and content removal after critical reporting

In early August 2024, journalist John Lafebre, director of the digital outlet Lo del momento Loja, reported that the media’s social media accounts had been subjected to cyberattacks for more than two weeks. Unknown users repeatedly flagged and reported the outlet’s content, leading Facebook and Instagram to remove several posts.

On 2nd August, Facebook removed four pieces of content, including reports on alleged fraudulent contracts linked to the Feria de Loja and criticism of the Prefecture, for failing to deliver public works. Lafebre said the removed posts contained original material—texts, videos and investigations—and noted that the reports remained available on other platforms. He suggested the removals may be politically motivated, given the critical nature of the outlet’s investigative journalism.

Lafebre appealed Facebook’s decisions but received responses citing alleged infringements of third-party intellectual property rights. He also identified an email address connected to one of the accounts filing complaints and attempted to report the attacks, but said the incidents persist.

Court overturns gag order against journalist

On 22nd July 2024, Judge Diego Quezada of Calvas canton annulled precautionary measures imposed against journalist Lauro Rueda of Supercable TV, which had prohibited him from referring to a government official. The Cantonal Rights Protection Board had granted the measures after Svetlhana Montero, district director of the Ministry of Inclusion and daughter of the mayor, accused Rueda of harming her honour following his criticism of her conduct during a municipal meeting.

Rueda filed a protection action, supported by Fundamedios through an amicus brief, arguing violations of due process and freedom of expression. The ruling set aside the Board’s resolution and established a precedent for press freedom, though Montero has appealed.

Peaceful Assembly

Police use tear gas as hundreds march over fuel subsidy cuts

On 5th July 2024, social and trade union organisations marched in Quito to oppose the Government’s decision to increase the price of a gallon of 85-octane American petrol from USD 2.46 to USD 2.72 as part of subsidy reductions. The United Workers’ Front organised the demonstration and demanded the cancellation of the increase. Protesters carried signs stating “Petrol up, everything up” and chanted “Out, Noboa, out”, marching from a northern park to the Colonial Centre.

Authorities cordoned off the presidential headquarters with metal fencing and deployed a heavy police and military presence. In the late afternoon, police used tear gas to disperse a group, according to AFP. Demonstrations also took place in the Andean provinces of Cañar and Chimborazo.

The decision to cut petrol subsidies has triggered major protests in previous years under presidents Lenín Moreno (2017–2021) and Guillermo Lasso (2021–2023), led primarily by the Indigenous movement, before both administrations abandoned the measures.

Communities demand accountability for murder of human rights defender Alejandro Lapo and three youths

On 17th October 2024, about 100 residents in General Farfán parish, Nueva Loja, Sucumbíos, marched to demand justice for the killing of four youths, among them community human rights defender Alejandro Lapo (see association). Communities have maintained a permanent vigil since the killings.