Communities impacted by oil spills receive no support and have no guarantees that these disasters won’t continue to occur.
Quito, Ecuador, June 17, 2025—The Federation of United Kichwa Communities of the Amazon (FCUNAE) and allied organizations denounce a new oil spill in the Napo River basin, which occurred on the afternoon of June 16. Its impacts on the land, water, and the air we breathe are already being felt in several communities. Yet, we have not been included in the response plans by the responsible companies, EP Petroecuador, the state-owned oil company, and Oleoducto de Crudos Pesados (OCP), the pipeline consortium, nor by the Ecuadorian State.
Once again, we learned about the spill through social media, the stench of oil in the air, and the visible contamination in our rivers.
As was the case in 2020 and 2022, there were no early warnings; the crude oil reached our rivers before any information did. There is also no transparency regarding the spill’s magnitude, the affected areas, remediation efforts, or actions aimed at supporting the impacted communities.
Neither PetroEcuador nor the Ministry of Energy and Mines has contacted our organizations or visited the communities to assess the damage and offer concrete support (such as clean water or food where needed). This disregards the health impacts faced by those exposed to contaminated land and water, exposure that even makes it difficult to breathe.
Petroecuador has claimed that it “closed valves” and is “carrying out containment efforts,” but all of its actions are reactive. Nothing is being done with a preventive approach or with communities in mind. Their priority is resuming crude oil transport, not protecting the lives of the people in affected communities.
Heavy rains and landslides have been reported in the area for weeks. These are well-known and recurring factors, yet no measures have been taken, such as reinforcing infrastructure, that would prevent pipeline ruptures; preventive measures are nonexistent.
We remind authorities that similar incidents occurred in 2020 and 2022 during the rainy season, and that communities continue to suffer the consequences. There are still no guarantees that this will not occur again. We cannot continue to face these preventable emergencies, especially without information, support, or guarantees.
While the official discourse focuses on “ensuring crude oil transport,” no one focuses on guaranteeing our rights to water, health, or information.
We demand that the Ministry of Energy and Mines, PetroEcuador, the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Health, and the National Secretary for Risk Management immediately:
- Ensure the presence of state authorities in the affected communities.
- Provide comprehensive support to families, including access to safe water, food, and healthcare.
- Share public and detailed information about the spill, its impacts, and the response actions underway.
- Implement structural prevention measures to address future landslides and climate-related risks.
- Guarantee prevention through a rights-based approach that prioritizes collective rights and environmental protection.
We call on the Office of the Ombudsman to fulfill its role in response to this new oil spill.
As Amazonian communities, we refuse the normalization of these events.
Our lives, our rivers, and our dignity are not negotiable.
