Amnesty International urged authorities in Ecuador on Wednesday to implement a court ruling mandating the elimination of oil industry gas flares near populated areas in the Amazon and the provision of reparations to affected communities.
The organization stated that while five years have passed since the ruling was issued, Ecuadorian authorities have failed to implement its requirements, and actions taken so far merely have created the appearance of compliance with the verdict. The organisation further noted that the court ruling was achieved due to the activism and resilience of national human rights organisations pushing for climate justice, such as the Guerreras por la Amazonia and the Union of People Affected by Texaco’s Operations (UDAPT), that still face indifference and stigmatization from authorities.
The ruling was rendered in 2021 against the state oil company Petroecuador and the government following a legal action brought by Guerreras por la Amazonia and other climate organizations. It ordered the progressive elimination of gas flares in the Ecuadorian Amazon, beginning with those located near populated areas. The ruling also established reparations for affected communities regarding their rights to health, water, and a clean and sustainable environment, in addition to requiring the establishment of an environmental monitoring system to identify environmental violations.
However, Amnesty International reported that none of these requirements have been met. Firstly, the oil company only removed two gas flares near populated areas in the Ecuadorian Amazon, which is significantly less than the number of active flares, with some sites experiencing increased activity. Additionally, Petroecuador stated that compliance with the plan of elimination of gas flares depends on operational conditions and the possibility of losses in oil production. According to Amnesty International, making the elimination of gas flares conditional prioritises the economic interests of the industry over human rights and environmental protection in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
Authorities also reportedly failed to allocate compensation to affected communities and did not conduct the required medical and scientific studies on the pollution’s impacts on local communities’ health, which has prevented the establishment of an oncology clinical unit. Additionally, they also failed to properly assess water quality or guarantee access to clean water for people living in affected areas.
Consequently, Amnesty International Americas’ Director Ana Piquer emphasized the need to address the needs of communities affected by the pollution caused by gas flares, stating: “The Ecuadorian state must put an end to simulated compliance and fulfil its obligation to eliminate gas flares and progressively move away from the fossil fuels that are turning the Ecuadorian Amazon into a sacrifice zone.”
There has been a growing number of cases against industrial companies globally related to toxic spills and environmental pollution and calling for compensation to affected communities, amid a worsening climate crisis and persistent inaction from states. In March 2026, a rights group found that Ecuador failed to protect indigenous peoples from the impacts of oil drilling pollution.
More recently, Amnesty International released a report revealing that Shell has been involved in the pollution of the Niger Delta. Similarly, Human Rights Watch (HRW) found that oil production in the Democratic Republic of the Congo employs production methods that pose health and environmental threats to local communities.
