Indigenous leader assassinated amid conflict over oil that divided community

[Judi Lynn]

by Ana Cristina Alvarado on 17 April 2023 | Translated by Megan Morrissey and Deanna Werthimer

In February, Eduardo Mendúa, an Indigenous leader representing opposition to oil operations in his community, was killed by hitmen after suffering from 12 gunshot wounds.

Mongabay looks into Eduardo Mendúa’s life and the oil conflict against the Ecuadorian state-owned oil company Petroecuador EP that divided his community and escalated into his murder.

David Q., a member of the community faction in favor of oil operations, has been charged with allegedly co-perpetrating the crime by transporting the assassins to the scene.

The incident worsens the fragile relationship between the Confederation of Indigenous Nations of Ecuador (CONAIE) and President Guillermo Lasso, with the former accusing the government and oil company of amplifying the community conflict.


“We’ve been resisting oil operations in this territory since they tried to begin them six months ago,” said Ecuadorian Indigenous leader Eduardo Mendúa on January 12th, 2023. “As a national leader of CONAIE [the Confederation of Indigenous Nations of Ecuador], I firmly reject these inciting acts made by the government, which is seeking confrontation and violence between our fellow Indigenous brothers. I call on the government to please stop the ongoing violence you have caused.”

Mendúa made this plea on social media networks after clashes between members of the A’i Cofán Dureno Indigenous community arose. The cause: disagreements over an expansive oil project by the state oil company Petroecuador EP, which imposed the project without their free, prior and informed consent, as required. Those in favor of the drilling, which was originally proposed seven years ago, were backed by members of the armed guard and the national police, according to news reports from the Alliance of Human Rights. Six people were injured in the confrontation and tensions continued.

More than a month after that incident on February 26th, Mendúa, who was head of international relations for CONAIE, was killed on his farm after suffering 12 gunshot wounds. His home was located in the A’i Cofán de Dureno community, in the province of Sucumbíos in northeastern Ecuador.

Mendúa’s murder took place two days after he attended a meeting of the general council of CONAIE in Quito. At the meeting, CONAIE resolved to sustain and expand their resistance efforts in rural areas of the country in response to what they see as broken promises by President Guillermo Lasso since the national strike in June 2022 over increased investment in oil and mining. Increased oil and mining projects across the country was a way the president sought to address the country’s massive debt.

. . .



Eduardo Mendúa was an A’i Cofán leader and head of CONAIE’s International Relations efforts. Photo taken from the Facebook account of Dirigente de Relaciones Internacionales de la Conaie.
. . .



The Indigenous guard of the Millennium Community, which is part of Dureno, halted oil operations by Petroecuador. Photo taken from the Facebook account of Dirigente de Relaciones Internacionales de la Conaie.

More:
https://news.mongabay.com/2023/04/the-indigenous-leader-assassinated-amid-an-ugly-oil-conflict-and-a-divided-community/