Ecuador: Environmental defender Néstor Caicedo receives threatening messages; his community faces growing conflicts with palm oil companies
"New threats against human rights and nature defender Néstor Caicedo", 20 January 2025
...On 15 January 2025, the human rights and environmental defender Néstor Caicedo received threatening messages to his phone by unidentified phone numbers. This is the second time he has received threats in the context of his work defending the collective territory of Afro-descendant communities of San Javier de Cachaví.
Néstor Caicedo is a human rights and environmental defender of the Afro-descendant population of northern Ecuador....
On 15 January 2025, the human rights defender received threatening text and voice messages from two unidentified phone numbers identifying themselves as “the mafia.” They demanded $1,000 (one thousand dollars) in exchange for protection and threatened retaliation if their demands were ignored...
Previous threats have been reported to the authorities in Esmeraldas, resulting in Néstor being temporarily accompanied by a police escort. However, despite reporting this latest threat, Néstor Caicedo does not currently have any institutional protective measures in place.
These threats come in a context of heightened vulnerability for human rights defenders and their communities due to...growing conflicts with extractive companies, particularly palm oil producers...This latest threat against Néstor Caicedo comes just days before a hearing on 21 January 2025 hearing in the protection action brought by the Barranquilla Commune against the company Energy & Palma...The case involves the illegal acquisition of communal lands and environmental damage. Recently, community members also reported the presence of armed individuals in the community, causing widespread fear among community members.
In addition to the ongoing case, Energy & Palma has filed complaints against Néstor Caicedo and community leaders Andrés Arce, Samir Mina, and Luis Quintero for alleged damages, which were a result of their legitimate right to resistance, peaceful defence, and protest against the company's activities on Afro-descendant collective lands...
Front Line Defenders expresses its concern about the persecution and threats against human rights and environmental defender Néstor Caicedo, and the intimidation of the Barranquilla community through the presence of armed actors, particularly in the days leading up to a crucial hearing...