Leonela Moncayo
Leonela Moncayo | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2010 (age 14–15) |
| Occupation | Environmental activist |
| Years active | 2020–present |
| Known for | Taking legal action against the Sucumbíos government for environmental offences |
Leonela Moncayo (born c. 2010) is an Ecuadorian human rights activist. She has campaigned against hydrocarbon exploration in the Amazon rainforest.
Biography
Moncayo was born and raised in the outskirts of Nueva Loja, the capital of Sucumbíos Province. The city is located in Lago Agrio Canton, an area environmentally impacted by the petroleum industry. Moncayo's parents, Donald Moncayo and Silvia Zambrano, were activists noted for their roles within the Unión de Afectados por Texaco (lit. 'Union of People Affected by Texaco'), a non-governmental organisation that denounced the environmental and social damage caused by the petroleum brand Texaco in the Ecuadorian Amazon.[1][2]
Activism
At the age of 10 Moncayo, alongside eight other girls from the provinces of Sucumbíos and Orellana provinces, took legal action against the regional government to demand the end of the use of mecheros, or gas flares, used in oil extraction, which released methane gas into the atmosphere that had been linked to health problems in local communities.
On 29 July 2021, the Provincial Court of Justice of Sucumbíos ruled in favour of Moncayo and the other plaintiffs, which ordered the regional government to gradually eliminate the use of mecheros, especially close to inhabited areas, and to repair any damages caused to local communities.[3]
Harassment
On 26 February 2024, an improvised explosive device was detonated outside of Moncayo's home, which was alleged to have been linked to her activism. Local authorities offered to support Moncayo and her family, reportedly on the basis that she ceased her activism, which was criticised by human rights organisations.[4]
Recognition
Moncayo has received national and international attention for her environmental activism, including by the British newspaper The Guardian and the human rights organisation Amnesty International, the latter of which demanded Moncayo's safety following harassment levied at her and her family.[5][6][7][8]
References
- ^ Alarcón, Isabel (12 August 2024). "El tour amazónico que muestra las cicatrices del petróleo en Ecuador". Dialogue Earth (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 9 August 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
- ^ Fiske, Amelia; Fischer, Jonas (2024). Toxic: A Tour of the Ecuadorian Amazon. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-1-4875-0954-5. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
- ^ Paz Cardona, Antonio José (9 February 2021). "Justicia ecuatoriana le dio la razón a nueve niñas y pidió eliminar la quema de gas de la industria petrolera". Mongabay (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 25 September 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
- ^ "Ecuador: Niña activista por la justicia climática intimidada en su casa". Amnistía Internacional (in Spanish). 4 March 2024. Archived from the original on 25 September 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
- ^ Villamar, Villarreal; del Carmen, María (2004). Representación de mujeres latinoamericanas en la agenda ambiental y climática (in Spanish). Quito: Documento de Trabajo FEPAL y Centro. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
- ^ Loach, Mikaela (2025). Climate is Just the Start. London: Random House Children's Books. ISBN 978-0-593-89733-1. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
- ^ Brown, Kimberley (16 May 2024). "'Just by breathing we are contaminated': schoolgirls fight to extinguish Ecuador's gas flares". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 11 June 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
- ^ "Ecuador: Más información: Se necesita protección sin condiciones para niñas activistas por la justicia climática". Amnistía Internacional (in Spanish). 6 May 2024. Archived from the original on 13 August 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.