Human rights and the environment must not be sacrificed for resource extraction profits.
Send a message to Minister Maninder Sidhu telling Canada to put human rights and the environment first.
“We, the Amazonian Women of Ecuador, Defenders of the Amazon Rainforest have organized to defend our human rights, and to protect the Amazon from irreversible tipping points, which would have implications for the entire planet. We are very concerned about the free-trade agreement negotiations between Ecuador and Canada, because increased investments in extractive projects in the Amazon could push it past a tipping point, violate our human rights, and lead to increased violence against Indigenous women and girls.”
Amid a dire human rights situation in Ecuador, its government and the government of Canada are rushing to negotiate a trade agreement with huge risks to people and the environment. Representatives of both countries have stated their goal is to attract and protect more Canadian mines in Ecuador.
Indigenous Peoples and rural communities – already suffering destructive impacts and violence linked to Canadian mines – continue to be ignored and even attacked. They have not been informed or consulted about the trade deal, a violation of both the Ecuadorian constitution and both countries’ obligations under international treaties.
What’s more, Canada has said it wants investor protections that UN experts have urged against because they pose “catastrophic consequences” for human rights and the environment. According to Global Affairs Canada, the mining industry has pushed for such protections.
Learn More
Indigenous women from Ecuador bring concerns on mining abuses, free trade to Parliament Hill
Why the Ecuador trade deal Canada wants hinges on a misleading referendum question
Violence Surrounds Canadian Mining Projects in Ecuador
Ecuador: Authorities and companies threaten the Amazon and its Indigenous Peoples
Top image: Danger reads the yellow tape during a protest outside Canada’s Embassy in Quito on March 4. Free Trade Agreement with Canada = More extractivism. Canadian mining out, reads the banner. Photo: Acción Ecológica @AcEcologic
