UN says Ecuador not complying with court rulings; Strong El Oro earthquake felt in Cuenca; In a shock, Jan Topić says he won’t run for president

In a strongly worded statement, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights accused Ecuador of ignoring court rulings that protect the environment and the rights of residents. He also claimed that the results of public referendums are not being followed. During a five-day visit of Ecuador, Rapporteur Marcos Orellana said lack of enforcement of legal judgements and constitutional protections are particularly harmful to the health of indigenous and poor populations.

“Compliance with court rulings is an essential element of the rule of law and the guarantees established in the United Nations and American Convention on Human Rights,” Orellana said. “In particular, I am concerned with the expansion of illegal mining activities in remote areas of the country because of the impact on indigenous communities.”

The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights is accusing Ecuador of ignoring court rulings that protect the environment and the rights of residents. Among its charges is that the government continues to burn off natural gas at oil production sites in the Amazon despite a court order to end it.

He added: “We see numerous cases where the health of entire communities has been damaged by illegal extraction activities as well as legal activities that are not properly monitored. In addition, we see court orders to end natural gas flaring activities delayed without explanation.”

Orellana did not name those he held responsible for non-compliance but mentioned the decision by the Rafael Correa administration in 2013 to ignore a referendum petition that could have stopped oil drilling in Yasuní National Park before it started.

He said the “rejection of the public will” continues in the Yasuní case since little has been done to end oil operations in the park since the May referendum.

In addition to damage caused by mining and oil operations, Orellana said the government was not providing “adequate oversight” in the use of agrochemicals in industrial agriculture operations. “Many of the chemicals used in large-scale activities are prohibited in their countries of origin because they are dangerous to health and the environment,” he said. “It is time the government take notice and put the health of workers and residents first.”

Strong El Oro earthquake felt in Cuenca
A powerful magnitude 5.5 earthquake, centered near Zaruma in El Oro Province, was reported at 9:43 Monday night. The quake was felt in Cuenca, Guayaquil and other locations throughout southern Ecuador. It was followed by two aftershocks of 4.0 and 3.5 magnitude.

The National Risk Management Office said it received several reports of structural damage to buildings near the epicenter and said a full assessment would be made Tuesday.

Topić says he won’t run for president
Just days after saying he was strongly considering a second presidential run, Jan Topić announced Monday that he would not be a candidate in the 2025 election. In a social media post, he expressed strong disillusionment with the Ecuadorian “political atmosphere”, saying it favored bad actors over good ones.

The announcement came as a shock to the leadership of the Social Christians which had expected Topić to represent the party in the February election. Last week, Topic held talks with several party leaders who expressed confidence that his commitment was imminent.

Topić finished fourth in the 2023 cross death election and two early polls for the 2025 election showed him running second to President Daniel Noboa and ahead of a yet-to-be-named Citizens Revolution candidate.

In his statement Topić said public service in Ecuador discourages the best candidates from seeking public office. “The public structure is designed in a way that prevents competent and honest talent from being part of it.”

He also blamed voters for favoring “acrimony over solutions” and making election decisions based on unreliable information posted on the internet. “It seems as if the electorate loves bad politicians and is willing to believe everything they read. This is very discouraging for a serious candidate.”

Topić said his decision followed “long discussions” with wife and close supporters.