In the Ecuadorian Amazon, overlapping land claims and state-issued agreements have intensified a territorial dispute between Indigenous nations living in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, a protected area. This Mongabay special series investigates the legal, cultural and political dimensions of the conflict — between the Siekopai Nation and the Kichwa de Zancudo Cocha — and the potential repercussions for conservation in protected areas. The four-part series draws on legal documents and interviews to examine how land titles and convenios — temporary, state-issued conservation agreements — are being used and challenged. The case raises wider questions about Indigenous land rights, conservation governance, and the state’s role in managing overlapping claims in a global biodiversity hotspot.
you're currently offline
