“Environmental activists charged with rebellion” - 20 January 2015

Environmental activists, community leaders and brothers, Víctor Hugo and Darwin Javier Ramírez Piedra, have been charged with rebellion despite a lack of evidence against them…The criminal proceedings against them appear to be an attempt to silence their campaigning against the impact of mining activities on their community’s right to water…[They were] charged in connection with an alleged attack against a delegation of the National Mining Agency (Empresa Nacional Minera del Ecuador, ENAMI) on 6 April 2014…The unsubstantiated charges against them seem to be an attempt to silence them and put an end to the long-standing opposition of their community to mining activities on their land [refers to Enami & Codelco joint venture].