Indigenous groups criticize Noboa’s draft bill on protected areas, say it opens door to privatization
Thirteen indigenous leaders from Ecuador demanded on Monday to have a say in the National Assembly’s Economic Development Commission debate over President Daniel Noboa’s proposed “Law for Strengthening Protected Areas.” They claim the bill threatens their rights by imposing regulations and decisions on ancestral territories that overlap with protected zones.
Indigenous leaders blasted President Daniel Noboa’s proposed land protection legislation in a Monday news conference.
In a statement issued by Amazon Frontlines, representatives from Siekopai, Siona, Kichwa, Achuar, and other groups emphasized that the legislation affects lands vital for their cultural and physical survival. They insist the legislature must conduct a consultation with indigenous communities before approving the law, as mandated by Ecuador’s Constitution and international treaties.
“The right to free, prior, and informed consultation is protected by the Ecuadorian Constitution and international treaties, including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Nagoya Protocol, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and the jurisprudence of the Constitutional Court of Ecuador,” the statement claimed.
It continued: “Despite the legislations’ name of strengthening protected areas, it actually does the opposite by increasing protection for some areas but reducing in others. Our fear is that the government’s intention is to open more areas to mining and oil production.”
Indigenous leaders called on the Pachakutik party members, the political arm of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie), to reject the bill and defend collective territorial rights, legal security, and ancestral practices linked to their cultural identity. Most Pachakutik assemblymembers, however, have supported most of the government’s proposals since the new legislative session began in May.
The Assembly’s Economic Development Commission, controlled by the ruling party, plans to resume discussions Tuesday to approve the bill as an urgent economic measure, moving it to the Assembly’s plenary for a second debate. Critics, including some opposition parties and environmental groups, argue the law could privatize reserves and ignore indigenous peoples’ existence.
Valentina Centeno, commission chair and Noboa’s government ally, stated the law would not allow intervention in conservation or intangible zones but only in areas already designated for tourism. She also assured that constitutional consultation procedures would be followed if projects affect indigenous territories.
The Ecuadorian Constitution establishes the significance of safeguarding the nation’s natural heritage, indigenous leaders say. It defines this heritage as encompassing physical, biological, and geological formations with environmental, scientific, cultural, and scenic importance, which must be protected, conserved, restored, and promoted. Additionally, it covers vulnerable and endangered ecosystems such as moorlands, wetlands, cloud forests, dry and humid tropical forests, mangroves, as well as marine and coastal marine ecosystems.
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Credit: Telesur
