Ecuador failed to comply with key provisions of an Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) order protecting the Tagaeri and Taromenane indigenous peoples from oil facilities in Yasuní National Park, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Monday.
José Rodríguez OrúePractitioner at HRW, called for the immediate cessation of drilling activities in the region, stating:
Ecuador continues to allow production from Block 43 and puts oil production above the rights of indigenous communities. Ecuador should take immediate action to suspend oil production in Block 43 and fully comply with the court’s decision to respect the rights of indigenous peoples in the national park.
In March 2025, the IACHR set a milestone Verdict The ordered Ecuador is calling for measures to protect the rights of indigenous groups, including the immediate cessation of oil production in an area of Yasuní National Park called Block 43. The court concluded that oil production from facilities near indigenous territory caused large amounts of environmental pollution, increasing the risk of exposure to harmful diseases, displacement, food shortages and conflicts over resources.
The court ruled that Ecuador injured right on collective property, self-determination, dignified life, health, nutrition, cultural identity, healthy environment, housing, life, judicial guarantees and judicial protection of the Tagaeri and Taromenane –groups who have been living in voluntary isolation from the rest of the population for a long time.
Before the 2025 ruling, the government of Ecuador was bound to a 2023 national referendum to stop oil production in Block 43. It became public on August 20, 2023 coordinated to ban oil production and stop all drilling in the Ishpingo, Tambococha and Tiputini blocks Yasuni National Parkone of the most lush stretches in the Amazon basin. The referendum followed decades the hard work of a coalition by indigenous peoples, youth and activists who fought to stop fossil fuel production in the region.
Despite the vote, there were only four 247 fountains was already closed at the time of the IACHR ruling.
Richard PearshouseEnvironment and Human Rights Director at HRW, spoke about the negative impact of Ecuador’s failure to comply with the referendum results and the court order, saying:
The Ecuadorian government’s decision to maintain oil production in Yasuni National Park for the next five years ignores the result of the 2023 referendum, which directly impacts the rights of the people living in the park and all Ecuadorians. The government should respect the will of the Ecuadorian people and immediately stop oil production in the area protected by the referendum.
