HRW urged the Ecuadorian Government to not dissolve the Foundation Pachamama

The organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged yesterday the Ecuadorian Government to reverse its decision on dissolving the NGO Pachamama Foundation, which was accused of vandalism, and to revoke the new Executive Decree that gives “broad authority” to oversee independent entities.

Jose Miguel Vivanco, executive director of the HRW for the  Americas, said through a statement that the  Pachamama Foundation was “the first victim” of the so-called Executive Decree 16, with which  the President of Ecuador Rafael Correa gave “the authority to dissolve the organizations of human rights and  of other nature, that stand in the way of  his Government program”.

According to HRW, the mentioned Decree and its application in this case “contravene the rights of freedom of expression and Association”.

“Under international law, Governments must ensure that human rights defenders are allowed  to perform their activities without  reprisals, threats, intimidation, harassment, discrimination or unnecessary legal obstacles,” said the organization.

The Ecuadorian Government dissolved last Wednesday the mentioned Foundation after accusing some of its members of committing  acts of vandalism which, last week,  resulted in attacks to members of diplomatic delegations.

At the time the Prosecutor’s Office and the national police of Ecuador are investigating the facts, which, for the Government, constituted a “deviation from the purpose and statutory objectives” of the NGO.

For her part, María Belén Páez, President of Pachamama, rejected the dissolution and said that with her case it was repress “the right to dissent from the decision of the national Government of granting in concession territories from the  Amazonian indigenous nationalities to oil companies without respecting their constitutional rights”.