The Fight to Protect the Amazon: When Children Confront the “Fire Monsters”

The Amazon rainforest is often described as the lungs of the Earth, yet in parts of the Ecuadorian Amazon, it is being slowly poisoned by fire. In the northern Amazon region of Ecuador, oil extraction has left communities living under constant assault from gas flares—towering flames that burn day and night, releasing toxic fumes, deafening noise, and intense heat into the surrounding environment.

For local Indigenous and rural communities, this is not an abstract climate issue. It is a daily reality marked by respiratory illnesses, environmental degradation, contaminated land and water, and the erosion of basic human dignity. Gas flaring—used to burn off excess gas during oil extraction—is among the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions globally, accelerating the climate crisis while disproportionately harming frontline communities.

Young Defenders Rise: The Guerreras por la Amazonía

Against this backdrop, a remarkable group of young activists has emerged. Known as the Guerreras por la Amazonía (Warriors for the Amazon), these defenders—girls and adolescents between the ages of 10 and 20—have grown up beneath the shadow of gas flares. They call them “fire monsters”—a name that captures both their terror and their destructive power.

Refusing to accept environmental violence as inevitable, the Guerreras have mobilised alongside the Union of People Affected by Texaco’s Oil Operations (UDAPT) and the Eliminen los Mecheros, Enciendan la Vida (Remove the Flares, Ignite Life) collective. Together, they have challenged a system that has long prioritised extractive profit over human life and ecological survival.

A Landmark Victory—And a Betrayal

In 2020, with the support of UDAPT, the Guerreras joined a lawsuit against the Ecuadorian state. In 2021, they achieved a historic victory: a landmark court ruling ordered the government to eliminate the use of gas flares, recognising their grave environmental and health impacts.

It should have been a turning point.

Yet today, the flames continue to burn.

Despite the court order, gas flares remain active across the region, exposing communities to ongoing harm. The failure to implement the ruling represents not only environmental negligence but a profound breach of the rule of law and Ecuador’s international human-rights obligations.

Criminalising Courage, Silencing Youth

Even more alarming is how the young defenders themselves have been treated. Instead of being protected and celebrated for their courage, the Guerreras por la Amazonía have faced stigma, harassment, and violent intimidation. Rather than investigating threats against them, Ecuadorian authorities reportedly told the group that protection would only be provided if they ceased their activism.

This conditional approach to protection is unacceptable. It mirrors a troubling global pattern: climate defenders—especially Indigenous people, women, and youth—are increasingly targeted, silenced, and coerced by state and corporate interests. Environmental defence is not a crime. Peaceful activism is not a threat. It is a right.

Why This Fight Matters to All of Us

The struggle of the Guerreras por la Amazonía is not only Ecuador’s fight. It is a global test of our collective commitment to climate justice, children’s rights, and environmental democracy.

When young people must confront toxic flames to defend their future, something is fundamentally wrong. When court rulings are ignored, the credibility of democratic institutions erodes. And when defenders are told to choose between safety and speaking out, justice itself is placed at risk.

What Can You Do?

You can stand with the Guerreras por la Amazonía by demanding that Ecuador:

• Immediately eliminate gas flares, in full compliance with the 2021 court ruling

• Protect climate and environmental defenders, without conditions or retaliation

• Ensure accountability for threats, intimidation, and environmental harm

• Uphold Indigenous, children’s, and environmental rights under international law

Sign the petition. Raise your voice. Share their story.

The Amazon cannot defend itself—but its defenders are calling on the world to act.

---

Presented by:
Minhaz Samad Chowdhury, Bangladesh
Independent Human Rights Defender & Policy Advocate

Documenting state violence, political and land rights violations, minority persecution, and democratic erosion in Bangladesh through research-based analysis and civic advocacy.

🌐 www.hr-defender.blogspot.com