Ecuador: Urgent call from the international community for an immediate end to repression, militarization, and excessive use of force

In recent days, photos and videos of military and police convoys controlling public order, with the use of firearms and tear gas in inhabited areas, have flooded the media and social networks. They constitute clear evidence of the disproportionate and violent response by Daniel Noboa's government to the social mobilizations taking place in different parts of the country. The data documented by Ecuadorian civil society organizations is alarming: more than 282 people have been injured, 172 people were detained, and 15 persons were temporarily disappeared. At least three people were killed, including 46-year-old Kichwa indigenous leader Efraín Fuerez 30-year-old Jose Alberto Guamán Izam, a farmer and father of two from the community of Cachibiro and Rosa Elena Paqui, a 61-year-old Saraguro indigenous woman, died of cardiorespiratory arrest caused by tear gas inhalation. The repression has also affected the press, with journalists being attacked, detained, and having their work equipment destroyed. Military operations continue in several provinces of the country, causing the continuous increase of the number of victims. Raids without warrants, internet and telephone cuts in the provinces where protests are taking place, and summary deportations have been reported.

In addition to this grave scenario of violence in the streets, numerous reports of the criminalization of social organizations and human and environmental rights defenders have been received. Indigenous and human rights defenders and organizations are being legally persecuted on charges of illicit enrichment, interuption of public services, terrorism, sabotage, and the freezing of bank accounts belonging to indigenous and human rights defenders and organizations.

Public statements by national government ministers and President Daniel Noboa himself stigmatize protesters and indigenous peoples using racist discourses and accusing them of involvement. Additionally, the Ecuadorian government ignores the various calls from the international community to implement measures of dialogue and mediation, to acknowledge the demands of the population, to assure the respect of human rights, and to end the current social conflict, in accordance with the principles of democratic coexistence inherent to the rule of law.

On October 8, 2025, seven United Nations Rapporteurs—including those on Human Rights Defenders, the Environment, Indigenous Peoples, Toxic Substances, Judicial Independence, Freedom of Association, and Business and Human Rights—sent an official communication to the Ecuadorian State (Ref. OL ECU 7/2025) expressing their concern over the repression, militarization of public space, and institutional reforms that weaken environmental protection and the rights of peoples.

Despite these statements and calls to establish dialogue by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Ecuadorian government has shown no willingness to open spaces for negotiation or to end the violence. On the contrary, it has intensified the militarization and criminalization of protest, seriously affecting the rights to life and physical integrity, freedom of peaceful assembly and association, freedom of expression, and access to justice.

On October 14, 2025, members of the European Parliament (MEPs) published a letter expressing their concern about the repression, the weakening of justice, and the criminalization of human rights defenders and journalists. The MEPs urge the European Union to issue a public statement, send an observation mission, and temporarily review the EU-Ecuador Trade Agreement, in accordance with the human rights and democracy clauses.

These international calls demonstrate global concern about the authoritarian and violent actions of the Ecuadorian state. However, the government continued its response of repression, stigmatization and military response to legitimate social demands. The lack of cooperation with international mechanisms, the political use of the justice system to criminalize human rights organizations and defenders, and the systematic repression of indigenous communities and civil society, reveal a profound deterioration of the constitutional state of rights and justice.

The undersigned organizations make the following urgent calls:

• To the Ecuadorian State: to immediately cease the disproportionate, indiscriminate, and arbitrary use of force, to guarantee full respect for human rights, and to establish spaces for genuine dialogue with mobilized indigenous, social, and civil organizations.

• To the Attorney General's Office of Ecuador: to withdraw the charges against social organizations and human rights defenders and guarantee that they can continue with the legitimate exercise of monitoring and denouncing violations that occur in the context of the protests.

• To Ecuadorian Human rights institutions, especially the Defensoria del Pueblo of Ecuador, to fulfill their mandate to monitor, oversee, and demand strict compliance with the Ecuadorian State's human rights obligations, with particular attention to the context of protests in the country.

• We call on international and regional human rights systems, European and multilateral states and institutions to maintain active, sustained, and coordinated observation of the situation in Ecuador, and to take the necessary measures to prevent further escalation of violence and ensure accountability of the responsible authorities.

Defending life, land, human rights, and freedom of expression cannot be criminalized. Peace cannot be imposed by force: it is built on truth, justice, and dialogue.

Signatories

1. Aframerindia Colectivo de Audiovisuales (Colombia)
2. Alianza Biodiversidad (Latin America)
3. Alianza Ríos Mayas (Latin America)
4. Amazon Frontlines (International)
5. Amazon Watch (International)
6. Articulación de Movimientos Sociales AMS (Nicaragua)
7. Articulación Feminista Marcosur
8. Asociación Asamblea Abierta de Migrantes y Promigrantes de Tarapacá AMPRO (Chile)
9. Asociación de Abogadas, Abogados, Jueces y Fiscales de Derechos Humanos de América Latina y el Caribe AJUFIDH (Latin America)
10. Asociación de Pueblos Indígena Originario Campesinos QHANA PUKARA KURMI (Bolivia)
11. Association for Progressive Communications (International)
12. Asociación Nacional Para el Fomento de la Agricultura Ecológica ANAFAE (Honduras)
13. Asociación Popol Na (Nicaragua, in exile)
14. Barracón Digital (Latin America)
15. BasInvestigaciones Sociales BASE IS (Paraguay)
16. Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (International)
17. Central Ashaninka del Río Ene (Peru)
18. Centro de Documentación e Información Bolivia (Bolivia)
19. Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales CELS (Argentina)
20. Centro de Estudios Populares CEESP (Bolivia)
21. Centro de Investigación y Promoción de los Derechos Humanos CIPRODEH (Honduras)
22. Centro de la Mujer Peruana Flora Tristán (Peru)
23. Centro Ecológico (Brazil)
24. Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigación y Desarrollo Alternativo U Yich Lu’um A.C. (Mexico)
25. Chile Mejor sin TLC (Chile)
26. CISCSA - Centro de Intercambios y Servicios, Ciudades Feministas (Argentina)
27. CIVICUS, Alianza Global (International)
28. Coalición de Tolerancia Cero / Zero Tolerance Initiative (International)
29. Colectivo Educación para la Paz y los Derechos Humanos CEPAZDH (Mexico)
30. Colectivo por la Autonomía COA (Mexico)
31. Código Sur (Latin America)
32. Comité de Acción Jurídica CAJ (Argentina)
33. Comité de Familiares de Detenidos Desaparecidos Hasta Encontrarlos (Mexico)
34. Comité de Familiares de Víctimas de los Sucesos de Febrero y Marzo 1989 COFAVIC (Venezuela)
35. Consultoría Técnica Comunitaria A.C. (Mexico)
36. CooperAcción (Peru)
37. Coordinadora de Derechos Humanos de Paraguay Codehupy (Paraguay)
38. Corporación Colectivo Ansur (Latin America)
39. Corporación de Promoción y Defensa de los Derechos del Pueblo CODEPU (Chile)
40. Cosmopolíticas (Latin America)
41. Cotidiano Mujer (Uruguay)
42. COPINH (Honduras)
43. CREDHOS (Colombia)
44. Cuerpas Sonosferas, colectiva técnica mixta (Chile)
45. Damián Verzeñassi, Instituto de Salud Socioambiental de la FCM UNR (Argentina)
46. Derechos Digitales (Latin America)
47. Ditsö Iriria Ajkonuk Wakpa (Costa Rica)
48. Due Process of Law Foundation DPLF (International)
49. Environmental Defender Law Center EDLC (International)
50. Espacio de Confluencia Personas Defensoras de Derechos Humanos ECO (Latin America)
51. Eutopia y Estrategia (Mexico)
52. FDCL - Centro de Investigación y Documentación Chile-América Latina (Germany)
53. Fondo de Acción Urgente para América Latina y el Caribe (Latin America)
54. Frente Feminista Jalisco Atemaxaque Edu (Mexico)
55. Frontera con Justicia A.C. [Casa del Migrante Saltillo] (Mexico)
56. Front Line Defenders (International)
57. Fuerza Común (Colombia)
58. Fundación Acceso (Central America)
59. Fundación Ambiente y Recursos Naturales FARN (Argentina)
60. Fundación Chile Sin Ecocidio (Chile)
61. Fundación El Cántaro (Paraguay)
62. Fundación InternetBolivia.org (Bolivia)
63. Fundación Karisma (Colombia)
64. Fundación Quantum (Costa Rica)
65. Global Witness (International)
66. GRAIN (International)
67. GRUPO ETC (International)
68. Grupo de Formación e Intervención para el Desarrollo Sostenible GRUFIDES (Peru)
69. Grupo Semillas (Colombia)
70. Health of Mother Earth Foundation (Nigeria)
71. Hilar Talentos para Cosechar Derechos A.C. (Mexico)
72. Holistic Protection Collective (Germany)
73. IFEX (International)
74. IM-Defensoras (Mesoamerica)
75. Iniciativa Direito à Memória e Justiça Racial (Brazil)
76. Iniciativa por una Justicia Igualitaria IJI (Venezuela)
77. Instituto de Defensa Legal IDL (Peru)
78. Instituto Nupef (Brazil)
79. International Accountability Project (International)
80. International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ESCR-Net (International)
81. Justiça Global (Brazil)
82. Kalli Luz Marina A.C. (Mexico)
83. KATAZ, nodos de autoformación (Latin America)
84. La Creciente (Colombia)
85. Laboratorio de Innovación para la Paz (Mexico)
86. Laboratorio Popular de Medios Libres (Mexico)
87. La Otra Cooperativa (Guatemala)
88. Lateinamerika Nachrichten (Germany)
89. Latin America Working Group (International)
90. Maderas del Pueblo del Sureste A.C. (Mexico)
91. Mesa Departamental para la Defensa del Agua y el Territorio del Caquetá (Colombia)
92. Mink’a Comunicación (Latin America)
93. Movimiento de Mujeres Indígenas Tz’ununija’ (Guatemala)
94. Museo del Hambre (Argentina)
95. Observatorio de Ecología Política de Venezuela (Venezuela)
96. Observatorio de Feminicidios Ensenada (Latin America)
97. Observatorio Latinoamericano de Conflictos Ambientales OLCA (Chile)
98. Oficina en Washington para Asuntos Latinoamericanos WOLA (International)
99. Oilwatch International (International)
100. Organización Civil Lésbica Feminista Lxs Safinas (Argentina)
101. Organización de Mujeres Indígenas YUKPA Oripanto Oayapo Tüonde (Venezuela)
102. Organización Mundial Contra la Tortura OMCT (International)
103. Otros Mundos Chiapas (Mexico)
104. Pacto Ecosocial e Intercultural del Sur (Latin America)
105. Proceso de Comunidades Negras en Colombia PCN (Colombia)
106. Programa Somos Defensores (Colombia)
107. Protección Internacional Mesoamérica (Latin America)
108. Protection International (International)
109. Puanifesto (Indonesia)
110. Radio AYNI (Chile)
111. Rebelión o Extinción (International)
112. Red CVC Jalisco ONG (Mexico)
113. Red de Coordinación en Biodiversidad (Costa Rica)
114. Red de Mujeres que Luchan (Mexico)
115. Red de Mujeres Unidas en Contra de las Violencias (Mexico)
116. Red Gran Caribe Libre de Fósiles (Latin America and Caribbean)
117. Red Muqui (Peru)
118. Red Nacional de Defensoras de Derechos Humanos en Honduras RNDDH (Honduras)
119. Red Nacional de Organismos Civiles de Derechos Humanos “Todos los Derechos para Todas, Todos y Todes” Red TDT (Mexico)
120. Redes AT (Uruguay)
121. Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights (International)
122. Sahita Institute / HINTS (Indonesia)
123. seguridades.org (Latina America)
124. Stand.earth (International)
125. Surgentes, colectivo de DDHH (Venezuela)
126. Sursiendo (Mexico)
127. Sustentarse (Chile)
128. The Common Initiative (International)
129. Unión de Científicos Comprometidos con la Sociedad y la Naturaleza en América Latina UCCSNAL (Latin America)
130. 100% Estrógeno ONG (Venezuela)
131. Conexión Segura y Libre (Venezuela)
132. Plataforma América Latina y el Caribe Mejor Sin TLC (Latin America)