According to Inredh, Efrain Fueres, an indigenous community member, died this Sunday in a local hospital after being shot in Cotacachi, in the northern province of Imbabura, while another person remains in critical condition due to the repression.

It also noted that Indigenous peoples enjoy special protection under the Constitution and international human rights treaties.

Reports of repression spread to several communities in Imbabura, including Ilumán, Huaycopungo, San Rafael, Otavalo, and Cotacachi.

The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), which reiterated the call for a national strike, reported that during Saturday night and early Sunday morning, a military and police convoy entered rural areas, launched tear gas and used live ammunition.

From the United Nations, Gina Romero, Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, expressed concern about the situation in Ecuador, given the excessive use of force and arbitrary arrests.

The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues also spoke out, urging the Ecuadorian government to guarantee freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and due process for all those detained, who the government says number around 100.

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