State Surveillance of Social Leaders in Ecuador Exposed
The Indigenous and Peasant Movement of Cotopaxi (MICC) has revealed substantial evidence indicating that Ecuadorian authorities have engaged in illegal surveillance and harassment of social leaders through infiltrated agents, reports 24brussels.
This revelation follows the detention of three police officers in the San Ignacio community, who are accused of pursuing and allegedly attempting to murder indigenous leader Leonidas Iza. The findings were based on information extracted from the officers’ cell phones, which contained evidence of their operations against social and indigenous movements.
The MICC has raised alarms regarding government infiltration into civil society, warning that undercover operations involving journalists and other covert means enable the State to acquire detailed intelligence about activists and their movements.
A comprehensive map has been unveiled, showcasing names and photographs of several social leaders under government scrutiny, including Andrés Quishpe (president of the National Union of Educators), Nery Padilla (president of the Federation of University Students), and Edwin Bedoya (president of the United Workers’ Front).
Other targeted individuals include Marcela Arellano (president of the Ecuadorian Confederation of Free Trade Union Organizations), José Villavicencio (president of the General Workers’ Union), Gustavo Vallejo (president of the Socialist Party), and Geovanni Atarihuana (director of Unidad Popular).
“These new findings reveal systematic surveillance and harassment of various social organizations in the country, enabling the development of intricate schemes and intelligence reports to persecute leaders and suppress social unrest,” the MICC declared.
Last week, the Indigenous justice system took action against the three officers who confirmed surveillance activities targeting Iza, a former president of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador. In the review of over 5,000 chat messages found on the officers’ phones, various methods of infiltration into the Indigenous movement were uncovered, including apparent collaborations with journalists from media outlets like Wilar RTV.
