At dawn today, the streets of **Quito** received an unusual but powerful delegation: **awenes** (traditional authorities), **pikenani** (wise warriors), and young leaders of the Waorani nationality from the Ecuadorian province of Pastaza descended from the depths of the **Amazon jungle** to reach the heart of the Ecuadorian judicial power. They came unarmed, but with something stronger: the determination to protect **their ancient home** and demand respect for **their rights**.
The Waorani did not come alone. With them came the echo of over [80 expressions of support](https://amazonfrontlines.org/es/campaigns/a-la-corte-constitucional-de-ecuador-por-favor-actue-ahora-para-garantizar-los-derechos-de-los-pueblos-indigenas-y-el-futuro-de-la-amazonia/) from international organizations and world celebrities —including Jane Fonda, Mark Ruffalo, Emma Thompson, Lupita Nyong’o, and Gillian Anderson—, and a clear warning to the Constitutional Court of Ecuador: the world is watching.
**A pending ruling for five years**
[Tuesday’s mobilization marks a new chapter in an emblematic case](https://amazonfrontlines.org/es/chronicles/las-comunidades-waorani-de-pastaza-por-el-derecho-a-decidir-sobre-sus-territorios-reciben-contundente-apoyo-internacional/): the **Case 1296-19-JP**, selected in 2020 by the Constitutional Court for its importance in establishing jurisprudence on the **right to prior consultation and free, prior, and informed consent**, the cornerstone of indigenous collective rights and a minimum guarantee for climate justice.
The root of the conflict dates back to 2012 when the Ecuadorian government promoted a flawed consultation to allow oil exploitation in Block 22, without adequately informing the Waorani communities. In 2019, a historic ruling by the Provincial Court of Pastaza invalidated that process and banned any oil activity in over **180,000 hectares of Waorani territory**. But the State appealed.
Five years later, the final ruling is still in limbo.
[](https://noticiasambientales.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/En-pie-de-lucha.jpg)
*”A form is not enough. We want them to listen to our wise men, to see how we live, how we care for the forest that cares for us,”* said Lina María Espinosa, a lawyer from Amazon Frontlines, who legally supports the cause.
**The political and environmental background**
This latest attempt by oil companies to enter the southeastern Amazon occurs amid the reactivation of the **Southeastern Petroleum Round** by the government of **Daniel Noboa**. A move that threatens over **3.5 million hectares of jungle**, inhabited by at least **seven indigenous nationalities**: Waorani, Achuar, Andwa, Shiwiar, Shuar, Kichwa, and Sapara.
Many of these nationalities have already publicly rejected the auction, recalling that the country **cannot base its economy on extractivism** that has left decades of contamination and structural poverty.
The oil expansion also contradicts the popular mandate expressed in the **national referendum of 2023**, when a majority of Ecuadorians voted to halt oil exploitation in the Yasuní National Park. What is the country’s direction then?
Today’s mobilization did not happen in a vacuum. In February of this year, [Amazon Frontlines had already warned](https://amazonfrontlines.org/es/chronicles/crece-la-preocupacion-ante-la-notificacion-de-que-la-corte-constitucional-de-ecuador-podria-fallar-sin-consultar-a-la-poblacion-indigena-probablemente-el-dia-jueves/) that the Constitutional Court was considering resolving Case 1296-19-JP without convening a hearing in Waorani territory, which raised strong concerns among indigenous communities, allied organizations, and human rights experts. According to the organization, this omission would contravene fundamental principles of intercultural justice and effective participation, turning the hearing in Quito into an urgent action to demand a legitimate resolution respectful of the collective rights of indigenous peoples.
**Justice that doesn’t listen, justice that doesn’t arrive**
The Waorani and their allies insist that the principle of **interculturality** —recognized by the Ecuadorian Constitution and international treaties— demands that the Court act differently: to listen with respect, on-site, with cultural translation, and not to impose foreign logics from a desk in Quito.
They have **pilgrimized to the Court five times in five years**. They have delivered letters, amicus curiae, reports, writings. Today, once again, they knock on the door of justice.
*”This case is a historic opportunity for the Constitutional Court,”* says Espinosa. *”It can generate a progressive, binding ruling that guarantees the collective rights of indigenous peoples. But if it fails, it will be complicit in their violation and the destruction of the Amazon.”*
[](https://noticiasambientales.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/el-mundo-observa.jpg)
**The world observes**
This “Tuesday 13” was not just a protest. It was a defense of the present and the future. On a planet on the brink of climate collapse, the Amazon jungle is one of the last bastions of life. And those who inhabit and protect it do not ask for charity or pity: they demand justice and respect.
The Waorani have shown that they are not alone. The international community supports them, both with [signature collection portals](https://amazonfrontlines.org/es/campaigns/la-amazonia-no-esta-en-venta-a-las-petroleras/) as promoted by Amazon Frontlines, and with [fundraising support campaigns](https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/es/amazon_auction_loc/), such as the one organized by Avaaz last April.
And today, the cameras of national and international press were there. Social media echoed their voices. The banners made it clear: **“Without the jungle, there is no life”**, **“Consultation is not imposition”**, **“Respect our home”**.
Now, the clock is ticking. The Court must decide. The fate of a ruling can define not only the future of a people but that of an ecosystem vital for all humanity.
