Fundraiser Report:

Support for Indigenous
Communities in Ecuador

On the week of September 22nd, indigenous communities across Ecuador took to the streets heeding the call for a nationwide strike, denouncing the rising cost of living, extractive industries that threaten their territories, and the politically charged state repression. As support for the movement has grown so have the levels of violence, intimidation, and repression by the hand of the Ecuadorian government led by Daniel Noboa

Since the protests began, 377 human rights violations have been reported, 3 people have been killed, more than 400 people have been injured, and there have been over 200 detentions across the country. Among those detained, the government illegally transferred 12 men from Otavalo to maximum security prisons over 200 miles from their home territories in the coastal regions of Esmeraldas and Portoviejo. After negotiations with the communities, most of the men were transferred back to their home communities, but still face a lengthy legal process with 3 other individuals who are currently free but still awaiting charges.

On September 27, 2025 Kichwa Hatari launched this emergency fund to provide immediate relief to our communities. As a Kichwa-led diasporic collective, we partnered with community leaders on the ground to ensure funds are distributed where there is need. Currently, the greatest needs have been centralized in the Imbabura region, with the situation stressed after the brutal October 14th attack on communities in Otavalo.

The strike ended in late October but the repercussions remain. With over 400 injured and 40 critical cases we continue this work to make sure our community receives support. We are committed to transparent reporting and continuous consultation with elders and community leaders to handle and distribute the funds appropriately.

We are grateful to all those that have donated, shared and spoken up!

INTRODUCTION

Reporting Period: September – November 2025

Thank you for your support! Because of your solidarity, we have been able to directly support families and communities impacted by the repression during the nationwide national strike in September- October, 2025. This paro was deeply painful for us at Kichwa Hatari, as many of us are Otavaleñxs, watching our communities be at the epicenter of the repression was heartwrenching and made it impossible for us to separate ourselves from what we were witnessing on our screens.

October marked us all in profound ways and your solidarity gave us the ability to support our community in tangible ways in a moment of profound grief and urgency. We are deeply moved by the solidarity shown to us and grateful to everyone who donated, shared and sent words of encouragement. For transparency, we have prepared the following report, which will live on our website and be updated as this work continues.

Donors: 164

GoFundMe: $11,803
Offline Donation: $300

GoFundMe Fees: - $391.45
Transfer Fees: - $76.48

Total Raised: $11,635.07
After GoFundMe and transfer fees.
As of 11/27/2025

CATEGORIES OVERVIEW

FAMILY SUPPORT

Amount Distributed:
$ 5,250

Families Supported: 16*

A significant portion of the fund has gone to directly support families impacted by the most devastating forms of military violence during the national strike. The ‘Family Support’ fund went to support the 13 individuals illegally detained in Otavalo by the military and then seditiously accused of terrorism by the Ecuadorian government–cases that remain active and unresolved as their legal proceedings continue. The families were given full discretion to use the funds to support their needs while their loved ones were detained.

A portion of the fund also went to support the families of the three community members killed by the military forces. Your support was able to be channeled to the families of Efrain Fuerez, Jose Guaman, and Rosa Elena Paqui. Many families of those detained and killed were left without a viable source of income for their future, this fund helped meet immediate needs, therefore making this fund critical and reinforcing the need for this fund to continue.

* 13 of the individuals unjustly detained in Otavalo and the 3 community members that were killed.

MEDICAL AID

Amount Distributed:
$ 4,300

Individuals Directly
Supported: 38

Medical Aid was–and remains–one of the greatest needs reported by individuals and community organizations on the ground. It is estimated that more than 400 community members were injured as a result of the unprecedented violence faced during the national strike. The injuries range from bullet wounds, to metal pellets permanently embedded into people's bodies, to other types of severe physical trauma. These injuries have led to a whole host of complex medical procedures such as invasive surgeries, medically induced comas, and leg amputations. Our fund was able to directly support 38 of the most severe cases we were able to identify.

FOOD KITCHEN

Amount Distributed:
$ 300

‘Food Kitchen’ funds went to provide food assistance for community kitchens and food drives in Imbabura during the heaviest days of repression. While Imbabura remained paralyzed, community kitchens provided much-needed sites for mutual aid and community building. These community kitchens were Kichwa community-led.

EDUCATION

Amount Distributed:
$ 100

These funds went to support community-led initiatives, like a community mobile cinema, aimed at bringing people together to learn (or relearn) about the history of resistance struggles through film archives and documentaries. Its nature allowed entire families access to a rich archive of resistance that documents the legacy of our current struggles. This effort was a Kichwa community-led effort which is continuing to this day.

LEGAL SUPPORT

Amount Distributed:
N/A

Due to the swift mobilization of support throughout Ecuador during the national strike, a majority of legal support for the detained and their families was provided on a pro-bono basis. As a result, legal fees were not a priority as previously expected. However, funds to cover costs associated with legal proceedings were provided to families for use at their discretion, such as for transportation. See ‘Family Support’ for breakdown.

MEDICAL SUPPORT OVERVIEW

Medical support was and remains the greatest collective need for those impacted in the Imbabura region. Over the past month, we've had time to continue consulting with leaders of on-the-ground medical brigades and hearing firsthand testimonies from those who supported our response during the strike. This has given us a clearer picture of the profound impact left by the Ecuadorian military’s repression.

During the state-sanctioned violence in September and October, Imbabura alone reported over 400+ injured community members. From these cases, your support has been able to fund the support of 38 individuals who sustained serious injuries requiring immediate medical attention, ongoing care, or long-term rehabilitation.

The total number of medically affected cases we supported is 38 injured individuals

Ages of those affected: 18 (youngest) – 52 (oldest)

NOTE: 2 of the 11 individuals who suffered from Bullet Impact (e.g. ISO cartridge) lost their lives. One of the 7 individuals who suffered from Tear Gas Grenade Impact lost her life. Kichwa Hatari was able to support these 3 grieving families via Family Support.

URGENT MEDICAL CASES — REQUIRING SURGERY & ONGOING CARE

The severity of injuries recorded highlight a profound need for sustained medical support:

14

Individuals require ongoing
care and continued medical treatment.

26

Individuals were initially classified as being in critical condition, many of whom continue to need long-term care and rehabilitation.

These numbers underscore the intensity of violence faced by the community and the vital role emergency funds have played in covering surgeries, treatments, and medications.

HIGHLIGHTED MEDICAL CASES

NOTE ON MEDICAL CASES: Patient privacy is being maintained. The cases highlighted here represent just a few examples among many critical injuries. Community groups have organized medical brigades to address the growing need, as injured individuals have been forced to overcome their fear of seeking formal medical care due to the threat of government retaliation and criminalization of the wounded.

Patient 1: Male, Age X, Italqui, Cotacachi
Tear Gas Grenade Impact

Injury caused by direct impact from a tear gas grenade munition
Required eye surgery due to severe trauma
Continues to receive ongoing treatment to preserve remaining vision

Patient 2: Male, Age X, Cercado, Cotacachi
Pellet Impact to Eye

Pellet impact caused facial bone fracture
Resulted in loss of an eye
A pellet remains lodged dangerously close to the brain, making surgery unsafe
Requires long-term neurological monitoring

Patient 3: Male, Age X, Morochos, Cotacahi
Bullet Impact

Bullet wound compromised multiple internal organs
Requires continued medical supervision, imaging, and rehabilitation
Long-term recovery expected

Patient 4: Male, Age X, Kotama, Otavalo
Bullet Impact (Severe Case)

Injury resulted in amputation of the left leg
Needs a prosthesis estimated at $30,000
Requires intensive rehabilitation and mobility support

A large number of patients reported having the metal pellets in their bodies shift from place to place, making it extremely difficult or expensive to remove. Many community members, in their majority male household providers, will have to live with the metal pellets for the rest of their lives, incurring long term, yet unknown health consequences.

ACCOUNTABILITY & DECISION PROCESS

We have worked closely with community leaders and organizations in Imbabura to identify urgent needs. In all our decisions, the priorities of the communities themselves guided how resources were allocated. Every distribution is discussed collectively, ensuring funds go directly to those most impacted. Out of real fear of reprisals we have chosen to not divulge identifying information about particular organizations and people involved. Nevertheless, all contributions have been carefully tracked, ensuring funds have been distributed in a transparent manner.

Through regular check-ins with community leaders, our family and loved ones, we continue to inform the way funds are being used and adjust support as needs evolve. Our commitment to accountability is grounded in the principle that families and community members themselves are best positioned to determine their needs, and our role is to facilitate and amplify that support safely and responsibly.

REMAINING FUNDS & FUTURE NEEDS

In the aftermath of the paro, we have been able to get a clearer picture of what the long term needs and impacts are. Community-based organizations have done intensive fieldwork to gather as much information as possible. One of the challenges reported has been the fear of reprisals by those who are injured to come forward, but despite the challenges, community organizations report at least 400 injured as a direct result of military repression. Additionally, as community medical outreach continues, meaningful mental health support remains distant for survivors of these violent atrocities and, for some, it may never be fully accessible.

As the Ecuadorian government has pretended to move on and clean itself of responsibility, we continue to advocate for those who are still suffering the consequences. From amputations to invasive surgeries to mental health support, those impacted by Noboa’s military repression will never be the same. In the absence of the state we will always lean on community to support–this means YOU! We are appreciative of all the help channeled our way thus far and only hope that you can continue to be in solidarity with our communities on the ground for the long-run.

Remaining balance: PENDING *

* Some allocated funds are being held as we are in the process of waiting to secure bank account information from several community members who previously did not have bank accounts.

MESSAGES OF GRATITUDE & CONFIRMATION

Thanks to your generous support thus far, over 50 families and dozens of communities have been supported and shown that they are not alone in this struggle. Your support has become an integral part of healing and bringing justice to families that put their well-being on the line for the right to live with dignity, for the right to education, and for the right to protect our territories from extraction.

Our communities have historically put their bodies on the line for change, not only of our territories but for the entire Ecuadorian population. A clear example of this was the results of the recent constitutional referendum, where the overwhelming majority of indigenous communities, and the Ecuadorian population as a whole voted NO to a referendum that sought to eliminate the rights of nature, collective rights and bring foreign military bases to our territories. This was a hard hit to the spreading right-wing authoritarian rule permeating throughout the Americas today. This win belonged to the people and it is in big part thanks to the courage shown by the communities in Imbabura who resisted for 31 days on the streets.

For many of us at Kichwa Hatari this paro left a deep impact as we witnessed the violence to the people we love–to those community members we have met in passing, or others we've never met but do not see ourselves separate from. We mourned the deaths of our community members and organized from where we were. Our work was a small contribution to the movement we belong to and a movement that doesn't know borders. We are extremely grateful for everyone that was able to donate, organized fundraisers and shared our work. We would not have been able to support our community with the resources needed without you, and as a committed gesture of solidarity we are asking you for your continuous support. It will take a while before families and our communities in Imbabura heal from this and we want to try our best to ensure that they get there with your support.

¡SOMOS RESISTENCIA! If you can donate again, please do, any little bit helps. You can also continue amplifying the funds by sharing with your networks, hosting a fundraiser, a teach-in with us, a bake sale, any way you can help us continue uplifting our community. As Kichwa Hatari we are in deep gratitude for all your support and unwavering solidarity.