Event Summary
On 18 August 2025, Leonidas Iza, former president of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), reported that intelligence agents in an unmarked vehicle carried out surveillance recordings of his home in the community of San Ignacio, Cotopaxi province; according to his testimony, the agents also attempted to take his life. Hours after the incident, members of the community detained three of the agents involved, confiscated their mobile phones, and initiated an indigenous justice process. Messages found on the devices allegedly point to systematic surveillance of Iza and other, as yet unidentified, individuals, with some conversations even mentioning plans to “make Iza disappear.” While the content of the messages has not yet been independently verified, the Indigenous movement has announced that this evidence will be submitted to the Office of the Attorney General (FGE) in the coming days.
The FGE issued a statement confirming that the agents had been conducting activities related to an ongoing investigation, a claim denied by the detained agents during the indigenous justice hearing. Carolina Jaramillo, spokesperson for the National Government, declined to comment on the case; however, she indicated that Iza will be charged with the crime of kidnapping the three agents involved.
Given the current national context, this incident may signal the start of intimidation and criminalisation measures targeting the organised Indigenous movement, which has repeatedly expressed its dissatisfaction with the national government. This development not only risks a significant setback in terms of the constitutional right to freedom of association but may also curtail the political participation of Ecuador’s Indigenous peoples and nationalities.
Environmental organisations, activists, and elected authorities have expressed concern over the incident and the government’s treatment of the Indigenous movement.