Environmentalists in Ecuador protest against Noboa’s policies
(FILE) Ecuatorian Prsident Daniel Noboa. Photo: EFE.
August 6, 2025 Hour: 1:14 am
More than a hundred environmentalists gathered in Quito in front of Ecuador’s Ministry of Environment, Water, and Ecological Transition to protest against recent cuts by President Daniel Noboa, which include the merging of the aforementioned Ministry with the Ministry of Energy and Mines — a decision they consider “absurd” and contrary to the policies that have defended the rights of nature in recent years.
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This was stated by Natalia Greene, from the Ecuadorian Coordinator of Organizations for the Defense of Nature and the Environment (CEDENMA in Spanish).
“We are demanding environmental institutionalism (…) We have requested a meeting with the president and will turn to national and international bodies (…) We are calling for the revival of the National Socio-Environmental Assembly and will join all national demonstrations,” Greene continued.
The protest, organized by environmental groups such as Acción Ecologista, CEDENMA, Quito Sin Minería, and Yasunidos, was marked by the presence of citizens of all ages (some dressed as animals), drum circles, banners, chants, and even the symbolic delivery of flowers at the doors of the Ministry for “the life of the territories that will be lost.”
“Ecuador will not be a mining destination”; “The land is not for sale, it is loved and defended”; and “Noboa, miner, life comes first” were some of the messages on banners and chants shouted by those present.
On July 24, President Daniel Noboa announced the reduction of ministries from 20 to 14 and the imminent dismissal of 5,000 public employees. The Ministry of Environment, Water, and Ecological Transition will no longer be independent, becoming part of the Ministry of Energy and Mines, and will be renamed “Environment and Mines,” according to the president.
As a result, the institution responsible for overseeing and ensuring that extractive entities comply with current regulations will be the same one that manages permits and licenses for mining activities.
Author: vmmh
Source: EFE
