KarunaNews Story

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has ruled that the Ecuadorian government violated the rights of uncontacted Indigenous peoples living in the Amazon rainforest, a landmark decision that strikes at Ecuador’s powerful oil industry. The Costa Rica-based court ordered the Ecuadorian government to ensure any future expansion or renewal of oil operations does not impact Indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation. The court ruled that the Ecuadorian government violated the rights of those groups by allowing oil drilling to go forward inside portions of Yasuni National Park. The court also directed the government to enact measures to prevent third parties, like illegal loggers, from invading uncontacted peoples’ lands and jeopardizing their right to remain uncontacted.