Alex Lucitante, a member of the A’i Cofán Indigenous community in northern Ecuador, is a dedicated environmental and Indigenous rights activist. Raised in the community of Avie, he comes from a lineage of traditional healers, which has deeply influenced his commitment to preserving his people's ancestral lands and cultural heritage.
In 2017, Lucitante co-led efforts to protect the Cofán's territory from illegal gold mining activities. He played a pivotal role in organizing community patrols, known as La Guardia, to monitor and document unauthorized mining operations. Utilizing tools such as drones and camera traps, the patrols gathered substantial evidence of environmental violations.
The collected evidence led to a significant legal battle against the Ecuadorian government for granting mining concessions without the Cofán community's consent. In October 2018, the courts ruled in favor of the Cofán, resulting in the cancellation of 52 illegal gold mining concessions and safeguarding approximately 79,000 acres of biodiverse rainforest.
In recognition of his unwavering dedication and leadership in environmental activism, Alex Lucitante was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2022, alongside fellow activist Alexandra Narváez.
Follow Alex and keep up to date with the important work that he continues to do: @alex.lucitante
Sources:
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