Economista Rafael Correa Delgado
Presidente Constitucional de la República del Ecuador
García Moreno y Chile
Palacio de Carondelet
Quito, ECUADOR
Ambassador Luis Benigno Gallegos Chiriboga
2535 15th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
Telephone: [1] (202) 234-7200
FAX: [1] (202) 667-3482
Email: embassy@ecuador.org
Honorable President Correa,
I am very distressed about the use of police violence against peaceful Indigenous protesters in Macas, Ecuador, on September 30. I implore you to restrain your police and military forces and respect the constitutional right of Ecuador’s citizens to peacefully protest laws that they consider unjust and unconstitutional.
I support the Indigenous organizations CONAIE and CONFENIAE in their efforts to protect the unparalleled natural resources of the Amazon region against destructive mining, logging, oil, and dam construction. I also support their right to free, prior and informed consent which is enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and in the International Labor Organization’s Convention 169.
Please initiate a thorough investigation of the violence that occurred in Macas on September 30 and take all necessary steps to prevent further use of force against Indigenous protesters. I urge you to meet with CONAIE and CONFENIAE leaders in the Amazon, as they have requested; to fully enforce their constitutional right to self-determination; and to amend the water and mining laws to prevent corporate assaults on the Amazon’s magnificent and vital biological and cultural diversity.
Thank you for your immediate attention to this urgent request.
YOUR NAME and COMPLETE ADDRESS
