Urgent Action: REPRESSION OF INDIGENOUS-LED PROTESTS (Ecuador: UA 58.22)

On June 14, 2022, around 0:29 a.m., security forces detained Leónidas Iza, president of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador, in the province of Cotopaxi. He was held incommunicado and criminally charged with “blockage of public services”, before being released that night. His detention could have been arbitrary and the criminal proceedings against him could constitute criminalization of protest. Human rights organizations have made allegations of more arbitrary detentions, excessive use of force and criminalization against protesters. We urge President Lasso to stop stigmatizing, repressing and criminalizing peaceful protests, to disclose the whereabouts of and charges against all detainees, and to release those arbitrarily detained.

TAKE ACTION:

1. Please take action as-soon-as possible. This Urgent Action expires on August 10, 2022.
2. Write a letter in your own words or using the sample below as a guide to one or both government officials listed. You can also email, fax, call or Tweet them.
3. Click here to let us know the actions you took on Urgent Action 58.22. It’s important to report because we share the total number with the officials we are trying to persuade and the people we are trying to help.

CONTACT INFORMATION

---

SAMPLE LETTER President Lasso, I am writing to you to express my concern about the current repression of demonstrations led by Indigenous organizations in Ecuador. Since June 13, 2022, we have received alarming allegations of arbitrary detentions, criminalization, and excessive use of force against protesters, human rights defenders, and journalists in different provinces. Ecuador’s Human Rights Alliance has identified at least 36 people detained between June 14 and 15, in Quito and Cotopaxi in the context of the protests. Your government has also issued stigmatizing statements against demonstrators and threatened them with prosecution. In the early morning of June 14, 2022, security forces detained Leónidas Iza, president of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), near Pastocalle, in the province of Cotopaxi. He was held incommunicado for several hours, without access to his lawyers, and criminally charged with “blocking of public services”. He was released that night. His detention could have been arbitrary and the criminal proceedings against him could constitute criminalization of the right to protest. We urge you to immediately to stop stigmatizing, repressing, and criminalizing peaceful protests, to disclose the whereabouts of and charges against all detainees and to release those arbitrarily detained. Sincerely, [YOUR NAME] ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• READ THE FULL URGENT ACTION: Word or PDF
• GET INSPIRED: Read about the people you have helped
• READ TIPS for writing effective letters and emails
• CONTACT US: [email protected]