Three Police Officers Detained in Ecuador Following Allegations of Assassination Attempt Against Indigenous Leader
On August 18, 2025, three police officers in Ecuador were detained by local residents in the Andean province of Cotopaxi and allegedly subjected to Indigenous justice due to accusations of an attempted assassination of Leonidas Iza, a former presidential candidate and prominent Indigenous leader. The incident prompted the Office of the Attorney General to call for dialogue and clarify that the officers were assisting in a prior investigation, reports 24brussels.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office did not address the specific accusations from Indigenous communities but affirmed that the officers were involved in other investigations. “The Prosecutor’s Office respects and recognizes the norms and traditions of Indigenous communities, including conflict resolution within their own territories. However, it reiterates that it is essential to establish mechanisms for dialogue between Indigenous justice and ordinary justice,” the office stated.
Detained in Iza’s hometown of Toacazo, the officers faced accusations from the Indigenous and Peasant Movement of Cotopaxi (MICC) of attempting to assassinate the activist, who previously served as president of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie), the nation’s largest Indigenous organization.
⭕ [COMUNICADO]
Expresamos nuestra profunda preocupación y enérgico rechazo ante los actos de persecución y hostigamiento dirigidos contra el compañero @LeonidasIzaEc, expresidente de nuestra organización madre #CONAIE, a quien extendemos nuestra plena solidaridad.
Iza took to social media to condemn what he termed continual harassment by police since the previous Friday, involving surveillance, filming, and photographing him. He recounted a specific incident where officers nearly ran him over, stating that the vehicle involved was traveling at high speed, allegedly driven by a person instructed to target him.
Despite these threats, Iza insisted that he expected the “systematic persecution” of him and his family to conclude following his term as leader of Conaie, which lasted until August 9 when Marlon Vargas succeeded him after internal elections on July 20. Iza also participated in the recent presidential elections, finishing third behind winner Daniel Noboa.
[DENUNCIA PUBLICA]
La tarde del lunes 18 de agosto, aproximadamente a las 14:40 horas tres agentes de inteligencia fueron interceptados en los exteriores de mi vivienda en la comunidad San Ignacio, sector Planchaloma de la parroquia Toacaso, provincia de Cotopaxi, mientras…
Iza criticized the implementation of the Intelligence Law, arguing that it facilitates such abuses. This law, pushed by President Noboa, has faced backlash for potentially violating fundamental rights by allowing intelligence agents to use false identities and compelling telecommunications companies to provide user data. The Constitutional Court has recently suspended parts of this law pending constitutional challenges.
The relationship between Iza’s movement and President Noboa’s administration has been fraught, particularly as Iza’s faction supported correísta candidate Luisa González in the presidential runoff election. As of now, the government has not officially commented on the allegations of assassination attempts or the detention of the officers involved.
