Ecuador: Ecuadorian Human Rights Defender Pablo Fajardo Stigmatized

Pablo Fajardo Mendoza is an Ecuadorian lawyer and activist. Since 1993 he has been active in legal proceedings against the socio-environmental impacts of oil extraction in Lago Agrio (Sucumbíos, Amazonas). In this context, he has represented indigenous and peasant leaders and more than 33,000 people organized in the Union of People Affected by Texaco (UDAPT).  Because of this work, Fajardo has been the target of repeated threats and intimidation. For this reason, in 2005, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights issued precautionary measures for Fajardo and his litigation team. He has also been listed as an "individual at risk" by Amazon Watch.

On April 26, 2023, Ecuador's Minister of Energy and Mines accused defender Pablo Fajardo Mendoza of being an "international criminal” due to his leadership in several judicial processes against international oil corporations operating in the Ecuadorian Amazon. The minister made the accusations during his appearance at the 184th session of the Collective, Community and Intercultural Rights Commission of the Ecuadorian National Assembly. Previously, in an interview in the media "La Barra Espaciadora" the minister made comments meant to discredit the work of the legal enforceability of human rights carried out by Pablo Fajardo Mendoza. 

Pablo Fajardo Mendoza is being stigmatized for his work in defense of Amazonian communities, as well as for all of his legal advocacy work against human rights violations caused by the oil industry in Ecuador, a fundamental aspect of climate justice.

The State must guarantee the protection of Pablo Fajardo and other members of the strategic litigation collective Unión de Afectados por Texaco (UDAPT) and put an end to the stigmatization of their actions in defense of the rights of communities affected by oil extraction.