Solidarity with CONAIE and the National Strike in Ecuador

From the network of academic institutions and researchers organized in the CLACSO Working Group on Political Ecologies from the South/Abya Yala We express our solidarity with the social struggle and current conflict led by CONAIE (Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador), as with the nationalities and indigenous peoples, and Ecuadorian social movements since September 18, raised in the national strike throughout the country.

The strike denounces the elimination of fuel subsidies under pressure from the IMF, the violation of fundamental human rights and the justice system, the worsening economic and security crisis, the co-optation and abuse of state power by oligarchic groups, such as the Noboa family itself, the failure to hold mandatory referendums, the authoritarianism and militarization of the territories of the country's Indigenous peoples and nationalities, and the expansion of mining and oil concessions with serious damage to the population and the environment, such as the oil spill in Esmeraldas province that went unpunished. They also denounce the murder, criminalization, persecution, and repression of individuals, civil society groups, and social and environmental defenders. They express their total rejection of the referendum called by President Noboa, which aims to modify the constitution, restrict rights, and allow the installation of foreign military bases, among other things.

The structural adjustment measures dictated by the IMF deepen inequality and create new sacrifice zones. From the perspective of political ecology and social movements, we demand a ecosocial transition anchored in the construction of social dynamics capable of responding to and counteracting the dynamics of capital readjustment, the concentration of wealth and the destruction of ecosystems, and of collectively configuring a horizon of transformation for our Abya Yala that guarantees a dignified future.

CONAIE and the social movements of the National Strike They demand an end to the extractive model. Respect for prior consultation and the revocation of mining licenses in Quimsacocha, Las Naves, and Palo Quemado. Compliance with court rulings regarding Yasuní and the Tagaeri-Taromenane peoples. An end to the repression and persecution of human rights defenders and social organizations, as well as the immediate release of those detained during the protests. An end to the state of emergency and curfew in the territories of Indigenous peoples and nationalities.

CONAIE It makes a broad appeal to the international community denouncing the human rights violations and demanding the EESC of all types of violations against the physical integrity of social leaders and indigenous communities participating in the strike. IMMEDIATE RELEASE of the people arrested in the protests and the STOP THE REPRESSION.

From the CLACSO Working Group on Political Ecologies from the South/Abya Yala We have been supporting the socio-environmental struggles of peoples, communities, and social movements in Latin America. CONAIE is one of the most influential movements on the continent, due to its capacity to transform politics from below, connect with and respond to social and environmental demands, and propose an alternative vision of life based on the construction of anti-colonial, anti-capitalist, and post-extractivist proposals woven from plurinationality, collective action, and the true meaning of democracy and dignity.

In May 2025, the ONU He reiterated that respect for the rights of Indigenous peoples is a non-negotiable moral, legal, and collective obligation. He urged governments to implement the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples without delay. The CLACSO Working Group on Political Ecologies from the South/Abya Yala calls on the Ecuadorian government to fully embrace and guarantee this mandate.

29th September 2025
Working Group on Political Ecologies of the South/Abya Yala

This text expresses the position of the aforementioned Working Groups and not necessarily that of the centers and institutions that make up the CLACSO international network, its Steering Committee or its Executive Secretariat.