Yes to Yasuní: Keeping the oil in the ground
The Yasunidos movement, founded in 2013 in Ecuador, has a clear goal: to end oil extraction in the ITT concession block at the heart of Yasuní National Park. In a historic national referendum in 2023, a clear majority of voters chose to protect Yasuní and made history in the process. Now Yasunidos is working to ensure that the government fully implements this vital decision for our planet.
Project Overview
Project FocusEcosystems
Project Objective Ensuring that the result of the referendum is respected and Yasuní's oil stays in the ground
Activities Information campaign, mobilization
To launch a national referendum in Ecuador, a large number of signatures was required. Thanks to the strong commitment of people across the country and an extensive campaign, the Yasunidos movement collected and submitted more than 756,000 signatures. Their goal – a binding referendum to prevent oil extraction in the Amazon rainforest of Yasuní National Park – came within reach.
However, by citing alleged irregularities, the government blocked the referendum for ten years and imposed new realities on the ground in the rainforest. It took a ruling by the Constitutional Court to finally deliver justice and clear the way for a vote.
The first nationwide environmental referendum, held in 2023 at citizens’ initiative, produced a clear result. The vast majority voted “YES” to protect Yasuní.
This decision matters not only for Ecuador but for the entire world. It will end further oil drilling in the Yasuní rainforest, and existing extraction sites must be shut down and dismantled within one year.
Yet the Ecuadorian government has repeatedly stated in various contexts that it does not intend to respect the outcome of the referendum.
That is why international solidarity and public pressure are so important now, when the future of Yasuní is on the line.
The campaign must continue to ensure that the referendum’s results are implemented without delay and that ongoing oil production in Yasuní is stopped as soon as possible. Much remains to be protected. Above all, the destruction of Indigenous communities must cease, biodiversity must be safeguarded, and climate change mitigated.
By ending oil extraction in the Yasuní-ITT area and refraining from opening new wells, Ecuador is taking an important step toward a post-fossil society.
Please support the Yasunidos movement with a donation to help protect the Amazon and the Indigenous peoples of Yasuní National Park. Your contribution strengthens those on the front lines and sends a powerful message that the world is watching.
This is the decisive moment in Ecuador for the protection of Yasuní.”
If you would like to support Yasunidos, please visit the rainforest conservation donation section.
