Ecuadorian Government Freezes Bank Accounts of Two Environmental Groups
Ecuadorian military unblock a highway in the midst of the national strike, Oct. 2025. X/ @Expresoec
October 10, 2025 Hour: 9:36 am
Critics accuse the Noboa administration of using anti-crime law to silence social organizations.
On Thursday, the administration of President Daniel Noboa froze the bank accounts of two well-known social organizations recognized for defending human rights and protecting the environment in the Amazon region.
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Taken amid the national strike called by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), the decision affects Alianza Ceibo, a foundation made up of Indigenous Ai Kofan, Siona, Siekopai, and Waorani peoples.
“For 10 years, we have maintained a firm commitment to defending our territories and our identity, with dedication and transparency. We have always acted publicly, grounded in the law and demanding our rights, facing the threats imposed by extractivism, various forms of violence, racism, and now state authoritarianism,” Alianza Ceibo stated.
“Our funding comes from international cooperation, and we have continuously reported on these resources to the corresponding institutions, to donors, to the foundation’s partners, and to the communities and peoples,” the organization added.
The Noboa administration froze the bank accounts under a law recently approved by its parliamentary bloc. This law is intended to control illicit activities in the context of the “Internal War” against criminal gangs linked to drug trafficking. Citizens, however, have denounced that the new law is actually aimed at controlling dissenting social organizations.
The text reads, “What is happening in the Ecuadorian Amazon? Communities continue to resist pollution and abandonment. In this new chapter, learn how gas flares directly impact the health of Amazonian families and how their fight has reached the courts. Watch the full new video on YouTube by searching ‘Violation of Human Rights and the Rights of Nature: the Mecheros case.'”
The freeze also affects the Union of People Affected by Texaco (UDAPT), an organization that brings together communities that have suffered the consequences of pollution left by the U.S. oil company in the northern Amazon, which has yet to be remediated.
“For 32 years, we have defended the rights of more than 30,000 people affected by Chevron’s operations,” UDAPT said, recalling that the Noboa administration had announced its intention to pay the foreign oil company at least US$800 million as part of a legal case.
“We have defended the rights of hundreds of cancer patients abandoned by the Ecuadorian state. We defend Indigenous and rural communities who are victims of hundreds of oil spills. We have a long record of defending the rights of the most vulnerable peoples and of nature,” the organization emphasized.
“We have always complied with all tax and legal rules within Ecuador’s judicial system. They will never find a single cent from illicit sources,” UDAPT stressed.
Community media outlet Wambra reported that the account freezes were carried out without prior notification and noted that authorities have provided no explanation for the action.
“This is happening in the context of the national strike and ongoing harassment by the Noboa administration against social organizations and human rights defenders. The government has frozen the accounts of more than 30 organizations and individuals using a law created to target mafias. However, it is using it against social leaders and their organizations,” Wambra commented.
teleSUR/ JF
Sources: Alianza Ceibo – UDAPT
