(13 May 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Quito, Ecuador – 13 May 2025
1. Various of members of the Waorani people of Pastaza rallying outside the Constitutional Court of Ecuador
2. Protesters holding large banner reading (Spanish): "Waorani Organization of Pastaza, Resistance"
3. Protesters marching
4. Woman carrying sign reading (Spanish): "My jungle is my pharmacy, don’t destroy it."
5. Dozens of Indigenous Waorani marching
6. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Luis Enqueri, President of the Waorani Pastaza Organization:
"Many times we have been at risk due to extractive issues from state. That’s why we are here today, so that the (Constitutional) Court listens and the Court guarantees our lives as Waorani. That is why today we tell everyone to support the Waorani people."
7. Wide of protesters
8. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Oswando Nenquimo, Waorani Leader:
"We are returning to resist and raise the voice of Waorani struggle, of how we want to live with our territory, how we want to govern in our territory with our Waorani rights and principles which is the spear and order in our territory."
9. Mid of protesters
10. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Maria Espinoza, lawyer representing the Waorani Indigenous Community:
"The Waorani territory is not for sale gentlemen of the (Constitutional) Court, (Ecuadorian) President (Daniel) Noboa. Waorani life is to be respected, it cannot be sacrificed. That is what we have come to tell this Court."
11. Various members of the Waorani Indigenous community of Pastaza outside Constitutional Court
12. Various members of the Waorani Indigenous community of Pastaza entering court
13. Various of protesters outside court
STORYLINE:
Leaders from the Waorani Indigenous community in Ecuador’s Amazon region gathered outside the Constitutional Court in Quito on Tuesday demanding recognition of their territorial rights.
They called on the Court to ensure that Indigenous communities are properly consulted before the government proceeds with any proposed oil and gas projects estimated to affected around 180,000 hectares of Waorani territory in Pastaza.
The Waorani are an Indigenous peoples who have lived in the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador for generations.
The Waorani, including spiritual leaders, met with authorities at the Constitutional Court on Tuesday.
For five years the court has had a case pending involving proposals for extraction across several Amazon provinces.
These areas encompass large tracts of rainforest, overlapping with the territories of different Indigenous groups, including the Waorani.
Indigenous leaders have expressed concerns that the expansion of oil operations threatens not only their environment and way of life but also the existence of uncontacted groups, who live in voluntary isolation.
The government argues that expanding oil operations is essential for boosting revenue.
However, Indigenous communities contend that such projects amount to the appropriation of their land and pose significant risks to their culture and environment.
AP video shot by Cesar Olmos.
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