Open letter to the President of Ecuador Rafael Correa Delgado concerning the dissolution of Fundación Pachamama

As a Global Campaign we have welcomed the initiative that the government of Ecuador and other 84 countries are undertaking within the United Nations Human Rights Council for negotiating an International Treaty on Transnational Corporations violations. The historic demands for binding regulation that is able to provide justice – including remediation and compensation to victims or corporate violations – have met strong opposition from corporations and governments of those countries where investment flows mainly originate. Therefore, when Ecuador led such a wide base of countries initiative, we mobilized a statement to the UN Human Rights Council with over 150 social movements and organizations signatories worldwide. And we continue to mobilize globally for binding regulation and enforcement mechanisms to put a stop on corporate impunity.

We have also welcomed and supported Ecuador’s decision to implement the audit of its Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs), an initiative that should be followed by countries facing the many constraints of this type of juridical instrument, that are designed to protect investors rights at the expense of peoples human rights, environmental justice and countries’ right to development.

As a Campaign conformed by social movements and organizations resisting Transnational Corporation’s abuses around the world, we find extremely worrisome that a social organization, such as Fundación Pachamama, that has a public record of defending environmental and social justice – with especial importance in the case of Chevron – is dissolved without a transparent process in which claims that could justify such a decision be made public through Ecuadorean juridical system, and providing them the right of defense. At the same time, we reject the application of Decree 16 to all forms of opposing opinions and actions by social organizations regarding Ecuadorean government policies and decisions, as this is clearly in opposition to freedom of expression as an inherent right and value of democratic societies. As such, we urge you to reconsider both the decision to dissolve Fundación Pachamama and review Decree 16 in its entirety.

SIGNED BY: