Persecución ambiental y resistencia indígena en Ecuador: Repensando la justica desde abajo

27 May 2026, 12:00-13:30

Panel 458

LASA 2026 International Congress

Expert workshop on pesticides, water,and pollinators

12 May 2026

Lund, Sweden

The session was facilitated by Dr. Claudia Ituarte-Lima (RWI) and is timed to coincide with the visit to Lund of Dr. Gabriela Torres Mazuera (Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Superiores en Antropología Social) from Mexico accompanying indigenous peoples in landmark legal challenges, offering a valuable opportunity for direct exchange between the DEFEND BIO team and practitioners with first-hand experience of the case.

Workshop objectives:

• Facilitate dialogue between legal experts, scientists, and practitioners on the legal and scientific dimensions of pesticide-related litigation and regulation
• Generate insights that can inform DEFEND BIO research, development of amicus curiae and initiatives to strengthen the capacities of justice system.

Persecution of Bio Defenders in Ecuador: Indigenous Movement in Resistance

13 May 2026, 15:00h-17:00h

Language: Spanish with English interpretation

This seminar critically examines the relationship between the expansion of the extractive frontier and state criminalization. It brings together three Indigenous leaders currently facing persecution in Ecuador: Leonidas Iza (former president of CONAIE and former presidential candidate), Sisa Cotacachi (Indigenous leader from Otavalo, epicenter of the 2025 protests), and Dario Iza (president of the Kitu Kara peoples). Together, they will reflect on ongoing struggles, strategies of resistance, and the state–corporate dynamics shaping territorial conflicts.

Territory defenders in Latin America and their persecution

16 May 2026, 11:00–12:30 CET

Bruxelles, Belgique | Campus ULB-Batiments U et A

This event explored the situation of territory defenders in Latin America and their persecution, shedding light on the risks faced by those protecting land, biodiversity, and community rights.

Across the region, defenders continue to face criminalisation, threats, and violence, often linked to disputes over land and natural resources.

The Right to Defend Rights in Environmental Matters

21 April 2026, 17:00–18:30 CET

Language: Spanish with English interpretation

Online | COP4 Escazú side event

Environmental human rights defenders play a critical role in protecting people and the planet – yet too often, they face risks, barriers, and silence. At COP4 of the Escazú Agreement, the Danish Institute for Human Rights, together with the Raoul Wallenberg Institute, is hosting a side event that focuses on how Article 9 of the Escazú Agreement can be advanced in practice.

Los defensores de los derechos humanos medioambientales desempeñan un papel fundamental en la protección de las personas y del planeta; sin embargo, con demasiada frecuencia se enfrentan a riesgos, obstáculos y silencio. En la COP 4 del Acuerdo de Escazú, el Instituto Danés de Derechos Humanos, junto con el Instituto Raoul Wallenberg, organiza un evento paralelo centrado en cómo se puede aplicar en la práctica el artículo 9 del Acuerdo de Escazú.

The Shadows of ”Green”: Who decides, Who benefits and Who bears the costs?

21 April 2026, 12:00h-14:00h

Hybrid Event

Brussels S. of Governance – Lisbon/Rome Room., Bd de la Plaine 5/1st floor, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgiu

We examined how ”green” projects, like Nature-based Solutions (NbS), are conceptualised, and asked: who is really deciding? whose knowledge are being used? who bears their burden? Are these conflicts merely the result of poor implementation, or do they reflect deeper structural tensions within prevailing models?

Defending a Living Earth

27 November 2025, 16.30-18.00 CET UTC+1

Online (Zoom) and Ostrom in LUCSUS, Biskopsgatan 5, 223 62 Lund

Environmental defenders and allies reflect on strategies they have used in their work to fight for socio-ecological justice using transnational networks.

On the Frontlines: Environmental Defenders

in a Turbulent World

26 Sept 2025, 10:00 – 12:00

Brussels S. of Governance – Lisbon Room., Bd de la Plaine 5/1st floor, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium

This event is a reflection on what does it mean to be an environmental defender today, when law can empower change, but also be weaponized to silence. Join us at the Lisbon Room (BSoG) or online.

Round Table: Advisory Opinion 32 of 2025: Climate Emergency and Human Rights What’s next?

15 Jul 2025, 15:00 – 16:30

Online Round Table

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) issued Advisory Opinion 32 of 2025 on the climate emergency and human rights. This decision marks a significant milestone in the development of international law. Join us on 15 July to discuss the implications of this decision.