Two indigenous activists from Ecuador who successfully fought against mining on their ancestral lands have won an international environmental prize.
Alex Lucitante and Alexandra Narváez were awarded the Goldman Prize, which recognises grassroots activism.
They used drones and camera traps to document mining on their land.
Their evidence was crucial in securing a legal victory which resulted in 79,000 acres of rainforest being protected from gold mining.
Alex Lucitante, 29, and Alexandra Narváez, 32, are part of the Cofán community, a 1,200-strong indigenous group which has lived in the tropical forest of north-eastern Ecuador for centuries.
Alexandra is a founding member and the first woman to join “La Guardia”, a group of 25 volunteers which patrols the area.
It was members of La Guardia who in 2017 first came across heavy machinery on their land along the banks of the Aguarico River, Alex Lucitante told the BBC.
Recent Comments