Fernando Bastias Robayo

Fernando Bastias Robayo is a lawyer and human rights defender, working on on the prevention of torture and ill-treatment and the promotion of economic, social, and cultural rights. He is a member of the Permanent Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDH) in Guayaquil and coordinates with the Department of Strategic Litigation and Advocacy. Since 2019, he has accompanied HRDs at risk, victims of the penitentiary crisis in Ecuador (persons deprived of their liberty and their families), victims of enforced eviction, victims of police repression or criminalisation in the context of social protests, and victims of serious human rights violations.

Fernando firmly believes that a security policy based on militarisation and punishment promotes serious human rights violations and promotes increased violence. In his work, he advocates to approach the problem of organised crime from a regional and human rights perspective.