As Ecuador’s government advances its extractive agenda, Indigenous groups urge the Court to uphold their fight for self-determination and protection of the Amazon.
QUITO, Ecuador — The Waorani People of Pastaza and Amazon Frontlines are raising urgent alarms over reports that Ecuador’s Constitutional Court may dismiss case 1296-19-JP by the end of this week. The case concerns the Waorani People of Pastaza, a recently contacted people facing heightened vulnerability and great risk. The decision of the Court may affect six other Indigenous nations and could set a dangerous precedent that further erodes the internationally recognized right to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC).
Pending since 2020, this case challenges the Ecuadorian government’s reliance on a 2012 oil consultation process previously invalidated due to serious violations of Indigenous rights. The government is now attempting to advance new oil extraction projects in the southeastern Amazon without meaningful consultation with the Andwa, Achuar, Shiwiar, Kichwa, Shuar, Sapara, and Waorani Peoples, despite clear legal precedents affirming their right to self-determination.
In May 2025, a delegation of awenes (authorities), pikenani (elders and wise warriors), and community members represented by the Waorani Organization of Pastaza (OWAP) mobilized in Quito. They demanded that the Constitutional Court judges guarantee their collective right, and that of other Indigenous nations in the Amazon, to make decisions about their territories through the protection and advancement of FPIC and self-determination. The delegation also delivered a letter signed by over 80 influential figures—including prominent organizations, celebrities, and international experts—calling for immediate judicial action.
Since then, the Court has taken no further steps on the case.
The urgent need for a ruling has intensified following President Daniel Noboa’s announcement of the Southeast Oil Round, a government-led oil auction threatening more than eight million acres of Amazon rainforest. Since his reelection, Noboa has also enacted four urgent economic laws that undermine constitutional protections and seriously jeopardize the collective rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Amazon Frontlines, Indigenous organizations, and allies are urging the Court to:
- Maintain active review of the case and establish national jurisprudence that strengthens the legal framework for Free, Prior, and Informed Consent, especially in contexts where extractive activities have yet to begin, and where Indigenous Peoples of recent contact, like the Waorani, face heightened vulnerability.
- Establish clear legal standards requiring explicit Indigenous consent for extractive projects affecting their territories, in line with international human rights law.
- Hold a public hearing in the affected territories. The Court must hear directly from Indigenous communities through hearings, site visits, and amicus briefs, ensuring a thorough understanding before issuing any ruling. This approach aligns with Ecuador’s plurinational and intercultural Constitution.
Press Contact:
Luisana Aguilar,
National Press Coordinator, Amazon Frontlines
+593 99 924 0129
luisana@amazonfrontlines.org
