Quito, September 10, 2026. The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), alongside the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), Front Line Defenders (FLD), CIVICUS, 11.11.11, AJUFIDH, Peace Brigades International (PBI), and the World Rainforest Movement (WRM), has released a joint report detailing a sharp decline in human rights conditions within Ecuador. The findings stem from an observation mission conducted in March 2026, which included direct interviews with communities, local authorities, and civil society representatives.
The coalition warns that the government’s reliance on militarized public security strategies has failed to curb violence. Since March 2024, repeated states of emergency and declarations of internal armed conflict have normalized exceptional measures. Rather than improving safety, these actions have coincided with historic highs in violent deaths and severe human rights violations, disproportionately affecting Indigenous, Afrodescendant, and rural campesino populations.
Soraya Gutierrez, Secretary General of the FIDH, emphasized that Ecuador faces a critical juncture. She stated that the nation must either reinforce the rule of law or deepen its crisis, noting that exceptional measures cannot become the new normal. The report identifies significant erosion of judicial independence, including attacks on the Constitutional Court, delays in justice administration, and inadequate responses from the Ombudsman’s Office regarding the freezing of assets belonging to human rights defenders.
César Sivo, president of AJUFIDH, asserted that judicial autonomy is non-negotiable, warning that without independent powers, justice becomes illusory. Meanwhile, Eduardo Marenco of CIVICUS highlighted an accelerating deterioration of civic space, citing the violent repression of the 2025 national strike and increased threats against journalists as evidence of a hostile environment for civic freedoms.
Álvaro Gómez del Valle of Front Line Defenders condemned the state’s failure to protect activists, stating that defending human rights and nature is not a crime under Ecuadorian Constitution. He called for an immediate end to the stigmatization and persecution of those safeguarding community rights.
The report also links socioenvironmental conflicts to the securitization of territories driven by extractive industries. Carla Moscoso of 11.11.11 noted that policies prioritizing economic growth often disregard democratic decisions and international obligations, impacting community governance and livelihoods. The organizations urge the government to align security policies with legality and proportionality, guarantee judicial independence, cease the criminalization of protesters, and respect the free, prior, and informed consent of communities affected by extractive projects.
This report was produced by the HuMedia newsroom.
