Seven Indigenous communities in Ecuador’s Amazon – including Waorani, Shuar, Achuar, Kichwa, Sapara, Shiwiar, and Andwa – have criticised the government’s $47 billion plan to expand oil and gas development. The concern is that 18 of the proposed oil/gas blocks overlap ancestral lands. The groups say constitutional rights and requirements for free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) are being ignored.
Indigenous communities in Ecuador’s Amazon are mounting a fierce resistance against a proposed $47 billion oil expansion plan that threatens their ancestral lands and violates constitutional rights. The plan, announced by the Ministry of Energy and Mines in August 2025, involves auctioning rights for 49 oil and gas projects, with 18 blocks overlapping Indigenous territories approximately the size of Belgium. Seven Indigenous groups-Andwa, Shuar, Achuar, Kichwa, Sapara, Shiwiar, and Waorani-assert they were not adequately consulted, despite constitutional and international requirements for free, prior, and informed consent.
This expansion plan has sparked widespread opposition, including protests, lawsuits, and international condemnation. The government’s actions are seen as a direct challenge to the 2023 referendum in which Ecuadorians voted to halt oil drilling in Yasuní National Park, a biodiverse region home to uncontacted Indigenous communities. Despite this democratic decision, the government has proceeded with new licensing rounds and continues to invite foreign investment in oil and mining.
Environmental groups argue that these projects are increasingly seen as illegitimate and harmful on both national and international levels. Indigenous leaders have called on the international community to oppose this expansion and help protect the Amazon and their rights.
The situation underscores the ongoing struggle of Indigenous communities in Ecuador to protect their lands and cultures from the encroachment of extractive industries. Their resistance continues to be a critical component in the global fight against environmental degradation and human rights violations.
