Urgent Action: Accion Ecologica Closed by the Government

We need your support! In a clear act of censorship, the Ecuadorian government has closed down the NGO Accion Ecológica. We believe that the only reason for taking this decision is Acción Ecológica’s position against mining which is apparently supported by the government.

We request you to send a letter to President Correa (see sample letter below) to the following addresses:

rafael.correadelgado [at] presidencia [dot] gov [dot] ec

Copied to:
alexis.mera [at] presidencia [dot] gov [dot] ec
ffalconi [at] hotmail [dot] com
info [at] accionecologica [dot] org
Dear President Correa,

I would like to express you my dismay about the decision taken by your administration to close down Acción Ecológica by withdrawing its legal capacity (personería juridica). Such a decision could have been expected from the previous anti-people and anti-nature governments, but not from yours. I have been among the many people that applauded the recognition of the rights of nature and the right to well-being (buen vivir) in the new Ecuadorian Constitution promoted and approved during your mandate asPresident.

Within Ecuador, there is no doubt that one of the few organizations that has for years been defending nature and local peoples well-being is Acción Ecológica. Everyone around the world knows its dedication to defendingthe Amazon and its peoples from oil companies such as Texaco. Everyone that has been in contact with them knows about their courage, intelligence and commitment to protecting the country s social and ecological wealth against the economic interests of national and transnational corporations eager to exploit them in a socially unjust and environmentally unsustainable manner. Everyone who has had the privilege of working with them can only express admiration.

Protecting the country s natural resources and peoples against industrial logging, commercial shrimp farming, oil exploration and extraction, monoculture tree plantations, biopiracy, water privatization and so on as Acción Ecológica has been doing over many years- is clearly in linewith the new Ecuadorian Constitution. Even more so: it is an obligation for any person, organization and institution in Ecuador.

I therefore find that this decision taken by your administration is in total contradiction with the aims stated in the new Constitution and can only think that it is a mistake made by some ill-informed person within your administration.

Your government is seen by many as one of the most progressive within the region and as an example to many other governments that do not respect nature or people s well-being. Your government is also a sign of hope for those of us who are fighting for a socially just and environmentally sustainable world.

However, the credibility of your government is now at stake as a result of this attack against one of the most respected civil society organizations of your country: Acción Ecológica.

I therefore trust that you will intervene on this issue and ensure that Acción Ecológica’s legal capacity is restored immediately so that theycan continue doing what they do best: protecting people s and nature s rights.

Yours sincerely,
SIGNATURE