Patricia Gualinga

Patricia Gualinga is a female human rights defender and indigenous rights defender of the Pueblo Kichwa de Sarayaku (Kichwa People of Sarayaku), an indigenous community in the Ecuadorian Amazon.[1][2]

Activism

Gualinga is the International Relations Director for the Kichwa First People of Sarayaku.[3]

She has played an important role in the fight for indigenous rights. Gualinga is a spokeswoman for many environmental projects.[4]

She led the women's group of the Pueblo for six years. She worked to strengthen the organisation of women in the community; organised workshops and childcare for women attending the workshops to learn how to speak for the community, respond to media and respond to the arguments of industries and governments.[4]

In 2018, she joined the Climate Change Summit of COP23, Gualinga had the opportunity to speak about Amazonian communities in Germany, stretching her connections and cause.[5]

Gualinga works to protect the Kichwa People of Sarayaku community from human rights violations resulting from oil extraction projects by Chinese companies on their land.[6]

She is a spokesperson for the indigenous-led proposal 'Kawsak Sacha', or 'Living Forest', that calls for legal protection of the Ecuadorian Amazon.[7]

Inter-American Court of Human Rights

In 2012, Gualinga was one of the representatives in a case presented to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR).[1][8] The community won this case.[2] The Ecuadorian government was found guilty of rights violations authorized oil exploration and militarization of Sarayaku lands without consulting the community.[9]

Threats

On 5 January 2018, her home was attacked by an unknown individual. The person threw rocks, broke windows and shouted death threats.[2]

Many Indigenous rights defenders have previously reported threats and harassment as a consequence of their human rights work.[2]

References
  1. "PATRICIA GUALINGA ATTACKED, RECEIVED DEATH THREATS". Front Line Defenders. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  2. "URGENT ACTION: ATTACK AGAINST INDIGENOUS DEFENDER" (PDF).
  3. "Patricia Gualinga". Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  4. "Women Speak: Patricia Gualinga Montalvo is Leading the Fight for Climate Justice in Ecuador - Ms. Magazine Blog". Ms. Magazine Blog. 2017-11-03. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  5. "Ecuador: Sarayaku leader Patricia Gualinga defends territory despite threats". Mongabay Environmental News. 2018-03-19. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  6. "PATRICIA GUALINGA". Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  7. Gualinga, Patricia. "Why I March: We Need to Leave The Oil in The Ground!". Huffington Post. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  8. International, Amnesty (25 July 2013). "Children of the Jaguar". YouTube. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  9. Gualinga, Patricia. "Patricia Gualinga Biography" (PDF). Amazon Watch. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
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