The Inter-American Court of Human Rights will arrive in Ecuador in the next few days. During its stay, it will visit the indigenous Kichwa people of Sarayaku (Pastaza Province) starting on Saturday, April 21, and will then hold its 45th Extraordinary Session in Guayaquil from April 23 to 27.
The Court's visit to Sarayaku is to carry out an inspection that is part of the lawsuit that this people has filed with the Inter-American Human Rights System, after the Ecuadorian state granted block 23 to the Argentine company CGC, without any process of information, consultation or request for consent from the people of Sarayaku for the realization of oil activities in their territory; and where this organization is about to issue a sentence. According to Mario Santi, spokesman for the Kichwas of Sarayaku, the members of the Court will first arrive at Shell-Mera on Friday where they will spend the night, to enter the community by air on Saturday.
The members of the Court and a commission of about 20 people representing the people of Sarayaku are then scheduled to travel to the city of Guayaquil. They will participate in various related activities in the main port.
During the next week, the Court will hold three public hearings and on Tuesday 24th the seminar “Jurisprudence of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights” will be held with the following topics:
- Rights of Indigenous Peoples in the Jurisprudence of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Jorge Calderón, Lawyer, Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
- Right to Personal Integrity. Romina Sijniensky, Attorney at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
- Control of Conventionality. Olger González, Lawyer, Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
According to Santi, these three issues are related to the human rights case brought by his people against the Ecuadorian state.
The Court's sessions will deal with pending cases from other Latin American countries. The Sarayaku case will not be discussed at the hearings that the Court will hold in Ecuador, as announced on the IACHR website. Instead, the following will be analyzed:
- El Mozote Massacres Case vs. El Salvador . Monday 23rd.
- Case of Gudiel Alvarez and others (El Militar newspaper) vs. Guatemala . Wednesday 25th.
- Case of García and family members vs. Guatemala. Thursday 26th
- Case of Pacheco Teruel et al. v. Honduras. Judgment on Merits, Reparations and Costs.
Fornerón and Daughter v. Argentina. Judgment on Merits, Reparations and Costs. Tuesday 24.
All hearings will be held from 9:00 a.m. at the Guayaquil Simón Bolivar Convention Center, Alfredo Baquerizo Moreno Room; while the seminar will be held at the Catholic University of Santiago de Guayaquil. Faculty of Law. Vicente Rocafuerte Room, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. For either event, it is necessary to request an invitation. from here.
Various activities to support the Kichwa people of Sarayaku will take place during those days, including talks, media visits and an AMAZON FILM MARATHON that will take place at the MAAC Cinema throughout the day on Sunday 28th with the presentation of films, documentaries and short films related to the subject.
Ecuador is part of the Inter-American System for the Protection of Human Rights and the Court's resolutions (for example in the Sarayaku case) are binding.
Ecuador is part of the Inter-American System for the Protection of Human Rights and the Court's resolutions (for example in the Sarayaku case) are binding.
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