These are dire times for the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE). In addition to these fantastic victories, they’re building toward a presidential run-off election scheduled for late October of 2023. The once-prominent organization, which represents a diverse coalition of Indigenous groups across the country, now finds itself in deep disarray. Members are bitterly divided over candidate endorsements and the direction of its political strategy going forward. Led by President Leonidas Iza, CONAIE’s leadership has come under fire. When these large infrastructure decisions are made, local leaders of all levels are speaking out against them, asserting the decisions do not reflect their communities’ desires.
CONAIE has developed an impressive network of thousands of these local assemblies. To many, it has served historically as a tangible, audible, powerful asset to Ecuador’s Indigenous community. The establishment includes more than 50 local grassroots groups. Yet this structure ensures that national decisions result only from careful deliberation and consensus-building among its members. This approach is meant to represent the collective will of the Indigenous communities in the Amazon rainforest, the Andes, and the coastal regions.
As the election approaches, divisions have emerged within CONAIE, especially over Iza’s running for a seat with the Pachakutik (PK) party. Many of these leaders have publicly denounced Iza’s behavior. They claim he is putting his long-term political ambitions ahead of what’s best for his constituents, especially for those living in the Amazonian region. The discord raises questions about the depth of CONAIE’s democratic processes. It makes one wonder if their leadership truly represents the voices of those they serve.
Leadership Discontent
The division within CONAIE has caught national media attention as leaders within the organization have aired their grievances on the floor. Diocelinda Iza, a well-known leader among the Amazonian community, expressed her frustration with Iza’s daily actions. She concluded, “Señor Iza won’t decide the run-off. The majority will.” This feeling is a reflection of the broader demand for transparency and upholding of the grassroots principles that inform PRODES’ long-standing commitment to CONAIE’s mission.
Norma Mayanshia shared like sentiments, “We are extremely embarrassed and very confused. From any reasonable interpretation of the law, the president’s actions make it clear that he personally is CONFENAIE. Some members are beginning to sense that Iza is overstepping her independence. They argue that she’s increasingly out of touch with everyday grassroots sentiment.
The difficulties that CONAIE now face are complicated by a legacy-strained political context. Local leaders like Mayor Fernando Guaman remind us just how high the stakes are in this election cycle—having lived through the darkest days of control by previous administrations. During the last epoch of correismo, they mined and looted the peoples and nations, and sought to exterminate them. They tried to erase CONAIE. That’s why they locked up social leaders,” he said.
Competing Visions
As discussions went on within CONAIE, visions for the organization’s future began to diverge. While some leaders advocate for aligning with traditional political parties to secure representation, others caution against supporting candidates who may not uphold Indigenous rights or interests. Cristina Taco, a coordinator for the Indigenous and Peasant Movement of Cotopaxi (MICC), expressed a strong stance: “Yes, it only leaves one option, but we’re not going to raise our flag in support of [RC].”
The tension underscores a larger ideological divide about the best way to seek and wield political power on behalf of Indigenous communities. Jose Esach summed up this predicament best when he declared, “And we’re going to do all of it under the PK flag. This is a very encouraging statement that reflects a serious desire to come together under one umbrella. It just as strongly recognizes that there is deep disagreement about the way forward toward this unity.
These internal disagreements herald more profound concerns. People wonder whether CONAIE can really maintain its promise to grassroots democracy while playing a mainstream electoral game. Some members express concern that top-down decisions can ostracize local assemblies that have long steered CONAIE’s direction.
Environmental Concerns at Stake
CONAIE’s position on environmental and ecological issues transcends partisanship. Members are closely monitoring government policies that affect oil and mining operations in the Amazon. The organization is vehemently opposed to these expansions. They say that such incursions endanger the very survival of contact-shy Indigenous peoples in these areas.
Guaman pointed out the implications of these operations: “They minimised Indigenous people. They humiliated us.” This sense of dread underscores a profound terror. People are outraged that a government agency’s decision puts environmental integrity in peril and undermines the safety of Indigenous cultures and communities.
Leaders within CONAIE have accused the government of carrying out genocidal acts against isolated tribes in the Amazon. While this accusation is definitely an overreach, it demonstrates why we need to urgently act on their behalf. The stakes of inaction The repercussions of ignoring these concerns would be felt across Ecuador’s Indigenous community for years, if not decades, to come.
It is CONAIE’s leadership that now confronts this difficult terrain. They need to align their political loyalty with the compelling imperatives of environmental legacy and cultural continuation. With elections looming, this juggling act is becoming more difficult thanks to rising internal strife.
