Ecuador's President Faces Backlash Over Yasuni National Park Decree

Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa has sparked controversy with a decree creating a committee to withdraw oil activities in Yasuni National Park's Block 43-ITT, despite 58.9% of Ecuadorians voting in favor of keeping oil underground in the park on August 20, 2023. The move has been met with resistance from various organizations, including the Yasunidos Movement, which claims that the decree excludes them from the decision-making process.

Why this matters: The controversy surrounding Yasuni National Park highlights the ongoing struggle between environmental conservation and economic interests, with significant implications for the future of protected areas and indigenous communities worldwide. The outcome of this dispute may set a precedent for similar conflicts in other countries, influencing the global approach to balancing development and environmental protection.

The Committee for the Execution of Popular Will (CEVP) Yasuni-ITT, established by the decree, will coordinate the withdrawal of oil activities in Block 43. However, critics argue that the decree is an attempt to cover up alleged corruption and land grabs in the Olon commune, where a company belonging to President Noboa's wife, Lavinia Valbonesi, is trying to conduct a real estate project in a protected area.

Pedro Bermeo, a representative of the Yasunidos Movement, stated, "The executive decree seeks to cover up what is happening in the Olon commune..." The Olon commune has been the victim of repression in recent months, according to Simon Velasco, a spokesperson for the commune. "We will stand steadfast in defense of the territory, and we will take legal action," Velasco emphasized, stressing that the collective rights of the ancestral community in Olon must be respected.

Leonidas Iza, president of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), also criticized the decree, stating, "Decree 257, which establishes the creation of a committee to analyze the withdrawal of oil exploitation in Yasuni, is a smokescreen to cover up the Olon case." Yasuni National Park, considered the largest protected area in Ecuador, has been at the center of the controversy surrounding oil extraction and environmental conservation.

The backlash against President Noboa's decree comes amidst allegations of corruption and land grabs in the Olon commune, where the majority of Ecuadorians voted to keep oil underground in Yasuni National Park. As the controversy unfolds, critics continue to demand transparency and respect for the rights ofindigenous communitiesin the region.