UDTR — Radar mondial des droits de la Nature

Indigenous Identity and Struggles for State Recognition in Ecuador

Identification

Clé publique

radar:r-c9b4a4abcefb1a8ea1f0b7fc4572bf03

Auteurs

Caroline Martínez

Année déclarée

2025

Langue déclarée

en

Type source

article

Première détection

2026-11-14T02:33:04.732927+00:00

Dernière observation des métadonnées

2026-11-14T02:33:04.732927+00:00

Dernière vérification HTTP

Non effectuée

Institutions déclarées par la source

University of California, Irvine

Pays d’affiliation déclarés

US

Résumé documentaire — langue originale

This article examines how the community of Río Blanco in Ecuador asserted its Indigenous identity in court to defend itself against a mining company in 2017. As other countries in Latin America, Ecuador recently ratified international conventions that provide greater protections for Indigenous peoples and has incorporated key Indigenous rights into its constitution, such as the right of Indigenous communities to be consulted before a mining company can exploit their territory. However, most of the country’s population identifies as mestizo or mixed race and mestizos are ineligible for Indigenous rights. This article asks, what were the legible definitions of indigeneity that Río Blanco members and Indigenous leaders deployed in Ecuador’s courts for recognition? How do communities redefine the meaning of indigeneity in legal cases involving state recognition as Indigenous rather than mestizo? Through an analysis of court documents, I argue Río Blanco legitimated its Indigenous identity in court by presenting itself as closely tied to the land its members lived on and as nature and water protectors. Ultimately, Ecuador’s courts upheld Río Blanco’s Indigenous identity and this community’s right to a consultation, leading to the expulsion of the mining company that was exploiting their territory. The Río Blanco case shows that while Indigenous communities are at a disadvantage in court cases where the state determines racial categories and beneficiary status, Indigenous communities play an active role in redefining what it means to be Indigenous, expanding the Indigenous- mestizo boundary, and furthering Indigenous rights.

Identifiants

OPENALEX

https://openalex.org/W4406535804

DOI

10.1177/23326492241310171

Repères documentaires

Famille documentaire

article

Types déclarés par les sources

article

Éditeurs

SAGE Publishing

Les mentions d’entités ne constituent pas une preuve de reconnaissance juridique. La juridiction étudiée est distincte du pays d’affiliation des auteurs.

Sources

OpenAlex · Document 1

• Document · https://doi.org/10.1177/23326492241310171

Statut documentaire

Pertinence à examiner

Bibliothèque

Cette identité n’est pas encore intégrée à la Bibliothèque juridique.