A recent report by Amnesty International has raised significant concerns about the impact of gas flaring in Ecuador’s Amazon region on human rights. The report criticizes the Ecuadorian government’s inability to halt gas flare operations, which are damaging the environment and endangering local communities. The document, titled “The Amazon is burning, the future is burning!”, highlights the efforts of nine young Ecuadorian environmental activists, supported by the Union of People Affected by Texaco’s Oil Operations (UDAPT), who have sought legal intervention to stop flaring in the Sucumbíos and Orellana provinces.
The judicial battle saw some success in 2021 when the Provincial Court of Justice of Sucumbíos ruled that the Ecuadorian government had violated the right of citizens to live in a healthy environment. The court mandated reparations and ordered the gradual elimination of gas flares, prioritizing those near populated areas. However, Amnesty’s latest findings indicate that the government has not complied with this ruling, continuing practices that compromise the quality of life and health of Amazonian communities while failing to meet international climate pledges.
Among the crucial concerns is the routine practice of gas flaring, which involves burning off excess natural gas during oil extraction. This practice emits pollutants like methane and black carbon, intensifying global warming. During the COP26 climate summit in 2021, the European Union and the US initiated the Global Methane Pledge, an effort joined by 158 countries including Ecuador, aiming to reduce methane emissions significantly.
In July 2024, the youth activists supported by UDAPT called for a global movement to eliminate oil extraction and gas flaring in the Amazon. They urged the international community to endorse their manifesto and pressure the Ecuadorian government to fulfill its obligations under both the national court ruling and international climate agreements. Ana Piquer, Amnesty International Americas director, emphasized the urgent need for Ecuadorian authorities to act decisively, framing the enforcement of the court ruling as an essential step toward climate, environmental, and racial justice.