The Ecuadorian government has been steadily increasing the criminalization and persecution of social leaders and frontline defenders who fight for the rain forests in the Amazon. In 2025, 61 activists were persecuted. Often their bank accounts were immobilized as repression for their activism. These persecutions have often been orchestrated and backed by mining and oil companies, and are aiming to silence the activists fighting against climate change and for the rainforests.
Climate and social justice against criminalization of social leaders in the Amazonian rainforests
Ecuador
ACTION · Without defenders there are no rights
The Ecuadorian government has been steadily increasing the criminalization and persecution of social leaders and frontline defenders who fight for the rain forests in the Amazon.
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Action
Lanceros Digitales is an activist group fighting against these policies, and are standing next to the community leaders directly affected by the persecutions. They build and strengthen defense strategies for social line environmental defenders, and help them defend against attacks from the government and extractive companies in the Amazonian rainforests.
With the funding of the Climate Justice Grants of Het Actiefonds, Lanceros Digitales was able to develop a social media campaign called ‘Without defenders there are no rights’, directed at protecting the rights of local frond line defenders, and informing the public of their struggle.
They organized a meeting with defenders criminalized by the government and also created a website with a lot of information on the fight of the frontline defenders. And this campaign isn’t done yet! The action group will continue fighting for those who are being persecuted by their own government while they are trying to save the rainforests.
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