Indigenous leader assassinated amid conflict over oil that divided community

17th of April 2023 | Ana Cristina Alvarado |
Ecuadorian indigenous leader Eduardo Mendúa, who opposed oil operations on his community's land without informed consent, was assassinated by hitmen in February 2023. The conflict between the community and state-owned oil company Petroecuador EP escalated into his murder. The opposition to the drilling was backed by members of the armed guard and national police. Since the national strike in June 2022, the Confederation of Indigenous Nations of Ecuador (CONAIE) has continued to resist and expand their resistance efforts in rural areas of the country in response to broken promises by President Guillermo Lasso.