Amnesty International said on Thursday called Ecuadorian authorities are dropping all legal and financial penalties against activists behind the 2023 Yasuní referendum, warning that the threatened fines are part of a broader crackdown on civic space and environmental dissent in the country.
Ana Piquer, Amnesty International’s Americas director, commented on the importance of protecting environmental activists from government retaliation:
Three years ago, millions of people made history by voting to protect Yasuní. Today, those who have dedicated years of their lives to protecting the park face fines $18,000. This is clearly a harassment of civil society.
The Yasuní Referendum was a nationwide initiative calling for an end to oil production in Yasuní National Park. Considered one of the most biologically diverse places on earth, the park is home to numerous uncontacted indigenous tribes and an estimated 1.7 billion barrels of crude oil. In 2007 the Yasuní ITT Initiative was launched as an appeal to the international community for $3.6 billion in return for preventing oil development in the region.
The effort failed and oil drilling began in 2016. However, mainly thanks to the efforts of indigenous communities and civil society organizations YAUnitedThe Yasuní referendum took place, in which an overwhelming majority voted to end oil production within a year. This result was celebrated around the world and hailed as one of Latin America’s most impressive victories in the fight against climate change.
Since the vote, oil production has increased continued uninterrupted and in 2025 the Ecuadorian electoral authorities started Proceedings against YASunidos over the financing of their campaign and a 39 cent discrepancy in their financial records. The organization was fined $18,000, but YASunidos was has appealed this decision before the Constitutional Court of Ecuador.
This marks the latest chapter in a long pattern President Noboa’s attack on civil society organizations. He has previously rolled back rights, imposed fines and stigmatized civil society and human rights groups, which critics say has had a chilling effect on the country’s NGO culture. Amnesty International urges President Noboa to restore full legal protections for NGOs and respect the democratic mandate of the referendum, calling it a non-negotiable test of this democratic integrity.
