Lea este comunicado de prensa en español aquí.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New York/ London /Oslo, 13 August 2025 — Rainforest Foundation US, Rainforest Foundation UK, and Rainforest Foundation Norway categorically state that we have no connection, past or present, with the German-owned private business “Rainforest Foundation Pastaza” that is operating in Ecuador under the name “Rainforest Foundation” in the Pastaza region.
“Rainforest Foundation Pastaza” is a private company whose stated business model involves acquiring land in the province of Pastaza to generate and sell environmental or carbon credits for profit. According to reports from Indigenous organizations, including the Kichwa peoples of the Wayuri community, the company’s actions are encroaching on Indigenous territories and undermining the rights of their legitimate custodians. Community members have reported road closures, gated access, and the presence of armed guards — tactics that local leaders describe as a form of dispossession, disguised as conservation.
We stand in solidarity with the Wayuri community and the Kichwa peoples of Santa Clara in their mobilization to defend their ancestral lands. Their campaign calls urgent attention to the threats facing their community and exposes the harm caused by so-called conservation projects that exclude or displace Indigenous peoples from their own lands.
Rainforest Foundation US, Rainforest Foundation UK, and Rainforest Foundation Norway do not and have never purchased land, or generated or sold carbon credits. Since our founding in 1988, our mission has remained clear: to defend Indigenous peoples’ land rights and support them in protecting their territories, always respecting and amplifying their right to self-determination.
We condemn any actions that violate Indigenous peoples’ rights, erode their sovereignty, or exploit conservation models as a cover for private profit. Our organizations remain committed to transparency, self-determination, and upholding Indigenous peoples’ rights as the foundation for any real and lasting forest protection.
For more information, contact:
Camila Rossi, Rainforest Foundation US
[email protected]
Chantal Connaughton, Rainforest Foundation UK
[email protected]
Hanne Brown, Rainforest Foundation Norway
[email protected]
