CEDHU warns of criminalization of social protest in Ecuador

The Ecumenical Commission for Human Rights (CEDHU) has expressed deep concern regarding the preventive detention of Guido Perugachi, president of the National Confederation of Peasant, Indigenous, Black, and Montubio Organizations (Fenocin). The order was issued on August 14, 2026, by Judge Raquel Maza of the Imbabura Criminal Judicial Unit.

Perugachi is being prosecuted for the alleged crime of ‘paralyzing public services’ related to social mobilizations held in September and October 2025 against government economic measures. CEDHU argues that this detention is not an isolated incident but part of a systematic pattern of criminalizing social protest and using criminal law to intimidate community leaders and dismantle social organization.

The commission called on judicial authorities to act independently, ensuring due process and respect for the constitutional right to resistance and social protest.