One of the girls who sued the Ecuadorian government to end gas flaring in the Amazon will attend the environmental summit to demand that the court ruling be enforced.
By: Leonela Moncayo
I was born in the Ecuadorian Amazon. My house faces an oil well. While other girls grew up with a view of mountains or parks, looked out at fiery monsters. Rather than the sunrise over the treetops, I saw the flame of a gas flare that never went out.
For as long as I can remember, the air has smelled of smoke. Sometimes, while playing, I smelled an odour of burnt plastic. My friends and I thought this was normal, that it was just how the jungle smelled. I later realized that it wasn’t natural. It was pollution.
For as long as I can remember, the air has smelled of smoke. Sometimes, while playing, I smelled an odour of burnt plastic. My friends and I thought this was normal, that it was just how the jungle smelled. I later realized that it wasn’t natural. It was pollution.
Since I was very little, I have seen how oil extraction harms nature, spoiling the beauty of the plants, animals and water. I have also watched as people in my community and family fall ill. What hurts the most is the feeling that no one has taken responsibility for causing so much harm.
Living next to an active oil well changes your life.
When I was 11 years old, I went on a trip organized by the Union of People Affected by Texaco’s Oil Operations (UDAPT). The goal of the trip, which we called the “toxic tour,” was to show the impacts of oil extraction. I remember standing under a flare releasing gases that heat up the atmosphere, like methane, which traps 84 times more heat than CO₂. I looked at the ground and my heart clenched: there were thousands of dead and charred insects. Tiny, lifeless bodies.
That’s when I knew I had to do something.
I banded together with other girls and young people. With the support of UDAPT and the collective Eliminen los Mecheros, Enciendan la Vida [Remove the Flares, Ignite Life], we sued the Ecuadorian state to get rid of gas flares and protect our rights. And we won: the court ordered the state to put out those giant flames.
We were girls, not experts. But we had the strongest thing: the truth. The court agreed with us, but its ruling did not bring justice.
To this day, the flares continue to burn.
***
Defending nature as young women has its consequences. When we try to give the world a true picture of the pollution and assault on human rights and nature, the first thing we get is criticism. Many do not want the truth to come to light. And it is worse when those of us speaking out are still legally children.
Defending nature as young women has its consequences. When we try to give the world a true picture of the pollution and assault on human rights and nature, the first thing we get is criticism. Many do not want the truth to come to light. And it is worse when those of us speaking out are still legally children.
They are always telling us that we are being manipulated by adults or that we are throwing a tantrum.
Several times police and military personnel — following government orders — have blocked roads to keep us from reaching meetings with authorities.
In February 2024, my family and I were victims of an attack. They tossed an explosive device into the entrance to my house. It had a piece of paper with a phrase on it, but the fire burned it up. They wanted to silence me.
Despite the insults, roadblocks and violence, we remain strong, courageous and determined to protect our rights and those of nature.
Because if we do not, who will?
***
Being at the most important climate summit, the COP30 in Belém, Brazil, says to the world that there can be no talk of climate action while the Amazon continues to burn. This is the first COP in the Amazon, and that has to mean something.
I did not come to Belém to ask for favours. I came to demand that the Ecuadorian state comply with the court ruling. I also came to remind all states to respect human rights and that caring for the environment is not an expense — it is the best social and cultural investment a government can make.
Allowing pollution and rights violations is not a show of political strength; it’s a show of indifference.
By allowing climate inaction and pollution, world leaders — including the Ecuadorian authorities — are destroying the lives of humans and of thousands of species of plants and animals.
The mestizo and Indigenous girls and young women of the Amazon are not usually heard in the media, but we have a voice, and our fire burns brighter than that of any oil well.
We call ourselves Warriors for the Amazon.
We call ourselves Warriors for the Amazon.
If we can get everyone to understand the importance of climate justice, we can restore the Amazon. We can reforest its lands, restore its natural areas, let animals return to their habitat, and ensure that rivers run clean once again.
No one can silence us or force us to keep our mouth shut in the face of injustice. Courage is a skill we build through our actions. Defending our rights is a shield of strength that we are creating. Each and every person can create their own.
We all have that power.
