International Accusations Against Noboa: AI, IACHR, and UN Highlight Systematic Human Rights Violations in Ecuador

Original article: Noboa bajo acusación internacional: AI, CIDH y ONU denuncian patrón de violaciones de DD.HH. en Ecuador

The administration of Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa is under intense international scrutiny following 30 days of national protests. Global organizations have reported a «systematic pattern» of human rights violations during the protests against the government’s neoliberal policies.

Amnesty International (AI), the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), among others, have raised alarms about the situation in Ecuador. Reports highlight the excessive use of force, militarization of protests, arbitrary detentions, and restrictions on press freedom, which have resulted in at least three deaths and over a hundred injuries.

The crisis in Ecuador has drawn international concern from various organizations. The Confederation of Trade Unions of the Americas (CSA) and representatives from the European Parliament have added their voices to the growing alarm. Given the severity of the situation, these entities emphasize the urgent need for impartial investigations, transparency, and dialogue to prevent further abuses.

“Human rights organizations stress the urgent need for impartial investigations, transparency, and dialogue to avert further abuses,” stated Camila Ruíz, a representative of Amnesty International’s regional office for the Americas, in statements captured by Radio Pichincha.

This perspective encapsulates the central clamor of the international community in response to the Ecuadorian government’s actions during the national strike, which emerged after the signing of Executive Decree 126 on September 12, 2023, by the right-wing administration. This decree eliminated diesel subsidies and raised prices from $1.80 to $2.80 per gallon.

This price hike directly impacts transportation costs, agricultural production, and the household economy for many, especially within indigenous and rural communities that rely on diesel for their productive and mobility needs. This sparked the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie) along with the Unified Workers Front (FUT), the National Coordinator of Students (Conaes), and other groups to declare a state of permanent mobilization.

Pattern of Repression

Organizations have raised generic accusations but have also detailed a specific catalog of violations that collectively outline a pattern of repression.

Excessive use of force: Documented incidents include the firing of live ammunition and indiscriminate use of tear gas in residential areas, reaching inside homes in indigenous communities in Imbabura, where most protests are concentrated, affecting children and vulnerable individuals. Reports also indicate assaults on women, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.

Arbitrary detentions and abusive criminal proceedings: Dozens have been detained, some under preventive custody and charged with crimes such as terrorism or public service disruption, suggesting an intention to criminalize protests.

Harassment of freedom of expression and association: The organization Fundamedios reported 26 attacks on journalists, media workers, and civil organizations. Furthermore, the Noboa government, via Arcotel, suspended broadcasts from community and indigenous media outlets such as Radio Inti Pacha, Radio Ilumán, and TV MICC, among others.

Limitations on the right to health: Indigenous communities reported that security forces have entered hospitals, denying or conditioning care for the injured while detaining protesters inside, violating the sanctity of these facilities.

Temporary disappearances and lack of clear information: During the national strike, numerous cases of individuals temporarily missing during blockades or confrontations have been reported, raising concerns and highlighting a lack of transparency in detention procedures.

Violation of Legal Norms

Beyond the accusations, legal and security experts have analyzed the conduct of Noboa’s administration concerning the popular mobilizations, framing it as a clear violation of national regulations.

Carrión, a human rights attorney, political scientist, and security expert, asserted that “law enforcement has violated the Law on the Legitimate Use of Force, which obligates the state to guarantee peaceful social protest and establishes limits on the progressive use of force,” as reported by Radio Pichincha.

She detailed that this law prohibits the use of potentially lethal dispersal mechanisms, including rubber-coated bullets or kinetic impact munitions, which have been employed by security forces in areas where protests are concentrated.

The law also mandates that all state agents involved in managing protests must be properly identified and strictly prohibits the use of plainclothes police or military personnel.

Furthermore, citizens have the right to document police interventions.

Prohibition of Live Ammunition: She emphasized that “even in violent scenarios, live ammunition cannot be used.”

The lawyer recalled that the entry into indigenous communities, or cuts to communication and electricity, can only be measures applied when security zones are declared as per the National Security Law, which has not been complied with during the 30 days of protest.

Carrión was unequivocal in stating that the state of emergency does not grant a license to violate rights and does not justify, under any circumstances, the breach of national laws or international treaties.

“There is excessive and arbitrary use of force. There is no legitimate objective that justifies its use. The use of force is not a blank check; it is not a right of the state. The argument of maintaining public order does not justify violence,” the attorney accused.

Social Protest as an Internationally Protected Right

In the face of attempts to delegitimize mobilizations, the expert reminded that peaceful social protest, even with roadway blockades, is protected by international treaties such as the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Ecuador is a party.

The General Observation 37 (OG 37) from the UN Human Rights Committee, published in July 2020, clearly states that a protest can involve disruptions to vehicle or pedestrian traffic without losing its peaceful character. It also obligates the state to facilitate and protect protests, avoiding discrimination while guaranteeing press freedom.

“The violence exercised by a handful of protesters—and even less so by provocateurs—does not compromise the peaceful character of the protest. The state must intervene in a targeted manner, refraining from repressing all participants,” Carrión suggested.

The specialist noted that both police and military are criminally responsible for their actions and clarified that the early pardon offered by President Noboa became void after the declaration of unconstitutionality of the Solidarity Law.

In this context, she made it clear that the Ecuadorian state is responsible for the deaths that occurred during the national strike.

With this damning analysis, Daniel Noboa’s government must respond not only to citizen pressure and internal crisis but also to the critical and demanding gaze of the international community, which calls for justice, reparations, and an immediate change in the handling of social conflict.