Ecuador: Los Ángeles community at risk of dispossession and facing retaliation for defending their land
Front Line Defenders expresses its concern regarding the situation of the 31 peasant families from the Los Ángeles community, located in the canton of Durán, Guayas province; who continue to defend their rights over the land following decades of disputes with companies linked to the shrimp farming industry. The families have faced a series of administrative measures, criminal complaints, legal proceedings and actions by police related to the possession and use of the land, leading to their eviction on 14 April 2026 and the loss of homes, crops and livelihoods for several of the families.
The Los Ángeles community has historically been made up of peasant families from the Montubio people who have lived on and worked the Los Ángeles territory, that has more than 94 hectares, for several decades. Furthermore, the families formed community associations, including the Ni Un Paso Atrás association and the Unidos Venceremos association, which promoted the legitimate recognition of their rights over the estate through the Agrarian Law, making them pioneers in the use of this law for this purpose. In 2001, 2005 and again in 2015, the Ministry of Agriculture issued guarantees of possession in favour of the two associations.
On 22 November 2023, the land was awarded to the Unidos Venceremos Association, one of the community organisations. However, just a few weeks later, on 13 December 2023, the land was sold to Trupeca S.A.S., a company set up just a few days earlier. The 31 families have questioned the legality of these transactions claiming that the Ecuadorian legislation imposes restrictions on the transfer of certain awarded land for a period of 15 years and have requested the annulment of both the granting and the subsequent sale to Trupeca S.A.S. They have also denounced the interference of business interests, orchestrated allegedly by the company INDALSUD S.A., aimed at persuading members of the associations to sell their land, which is said to have even influenced changes to the leadership structure of the Asociación Unidos Venceremos prior to the transfer of the land. These events were brought to the attention of the United Nations Special Procedures, who have also expressed concern and requested information from the Ecuadorian State, as well as from the companies involved.
Since then, the families who opposed the transfer and refused to leave their land have faced various actions aimed at blocking them from remaining on and having access to the land. In 2025, Trupeca S.A.S. filed an administrative complaint with the Ministry of Agriculture alleging land invasion by the peasant families. At the same time, the company also filed a separate complaint with the Public Prosecutor’s Office alleging an invasion onto the land by members of the community. Both complaints were dismissed. Despite this, on 30 December 2025, the General Superintendent of Guayas Police issued an eviction order at the request of Trupeca S.A.S. This order was enforced on 14 April 2026 by the National Police. The operation affected families who were living on and farming the land, including children, elderly people and people with disabilities, and resulted in the loss of homes, crops and livelihoods.
The intervention by the security forces also took place in a context in which the families had reported threats, restrictions on access, the destruction of crops and other acts of intimidation, indicating that these were carried out by private security personnel linked to Trupeca S.A.S. They also reported actions by police against members of the community, including raids on homes and threats against women in community leadership roles.
The families turned to the courts to challenge the transfer of the land and prevent their eviction. In December 2025, they filed an application for protection and sought precautionary measures before the Civil Judicial Unit of the Durán Canton. Both applications were rejected on 30 January 2026. In the same ruling, the Judicial Council was instructed to investigate the conduct of one of the lawyers representing the families, on the grounds of an alleged “abuse of rights” relating to the application for interim measures. The families see this action as a further form of pressure in the context of their defence of the land.
The families are currently continuing to challenge the Court’s decision before the Guayas Provincial Court of Justice. The appeal process has been delayed by almost five months due to the absence of two of the three judges to the Court from the hearing scheduled for 6 July 2026, which forced it to be rescheduled for 27 November 2026. This delay has occurred despite the concerns expressed by the peasant families and their representatives regarding the risks they face. It is particularly worrying given the nature of the action has the purpose of guaranteeing effective and timely protection against rights violations and which as a result, calls for short procedural deadlines. A delay of this magnitude prolongs the consequences of the eviction for the 31 families, who continue to face threats to their lives and personal safety, as well as acts of intimidation and harassment.
Peasant communities play a fundamental role in protecting life, land, territory and food sovereignty. However, those who defend these rights may face greater risks when their territories are at the centre of economic and corporate interests. The case of the Los Ángeles community is a clear example of the challenges faced when rural communities are subjected to proceedings that affect their continued presence on the land and their ability to earn a living.
The successive use of administrative, criminal, judicial and police mechanisms increases the pressure on families and raises serious concerns regarding their safety and the conditions under which human rights and territorial defenders can carry out their work. Furthermore, it raises questions about the conduct of the state authorities and the safeguards granted to the community in the context of the proceedings which are still currently ongoing.
Front Line Defenders reiterates that individuals and communities defending human rights, including rights relating to land and territory, must be able to carry out their work safely and without fear of intimidation, threats, reprisals or criminalisation. The Ecuadorian authorities must ensure that any action relating to the tenure, possession and use of these lands fully respects constitutional guarantees and the international human rights obligations undertaken by Ecuador.
In this context, Front Line Defenders calls on the Ecuadorian authorities to guarantee effective access to justice for the Los Ángeles community and to investigate, promptly, independently, impartially and effectively, the allegations concerning possible human rights violations. It also urges the authorities to take the necessary measures to ensure full reparations for the affected families and to create conditions that allow for a safe and dignified return to their territory.
Front Line Defenders also urges the competent authorities to conduct an independent and effective investigation into the actions of the Guayas General Police Command and the officers who took part in the eviction, as well as into allegations of threats, harassment and other forms of intimidation against members of the community.
Finally, Front Line Defenders calls on the Ecuadorian State to ensure that the companies in question respect the human rights of the affected communities and act in accordance with applicable international norms and standards. Companies must refrain from any conduct that may contribute to threats, intimidation, reprisals or interference against those defending human rights, land and territory. The authorities, for their part, must take effective measures to prevent and respond to any rights violations related to business activities and ensure that human rights defenders can continue their work in a safe and enabling environment.
