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| Libertadores de la Tierra | |
|---|---|
| Name | Libertadores de la Tierra |
| Formation | 2011 |
| Type | Non-governmental organization |
| Headquarters | Quito, Ecuador |
| Area served | Latin America and the Caribbean |
| Focus | Environmental conservation; Indigenous rights; Sustainable development |
Libertadores de la Tierra is a transnational non-governmental organization founded in 2011 that operates across Latin America and the Caribbean, focused on environmental conservation, Indigenous rights, and sustainable livelihoods. The organization engages with Indigenous nations, national parks, conservationists, and multilateral institutions to advance territorial protection, community stewardship, and legal recognition of land rights. Libertadores de la Tierra works alongside entities such as the United Nations Development Programme, Inter-American Court of Human Rights, Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, and regional universities to implement projects spanning biodiversity corridors, community forestry, and legal defense of ancestral territories.
Libertadores de la Tierra was established in Quito in 2011 following regional encounters that included representatives from the Kichwa, Asháninka, Mapuche, Wayuu, and Guaraní peoples, with input from scholars at the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, activists affiliated with Greenpeace, and lawyers from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Early collaborations involved campaign coordination with the World Wildlife Fund and technical partnerships with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, enabling mapping of conservation areas adjacent to the Yasuní National Park and the Sierra del Divisor National Park. The group gained prominence after supporting legal petitions in the Ecuadorian Constitutional Court and filing amicus briefs in cases linked to extractive projects in the Maranhão and Loreto regions. By 2015 Libertadores de la Tierra had established field offices in Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, and Brazil, and began exchanges with the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Bank on community-based natural resource management.
The stated mission centers on defending Indigenous territorial rights while conserving biodiversity hotspots such as the Amazon Rainforest, Chocó-Darién, and the Gran Chaco. The organization frames its objectives alongside advocacy for enforcement mechanisms in instruments like the Escazú Agreement, strategic litigation before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and policy dialogues in forums such as the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Libertadores de la Tierra articulates goals consistent with Sustainable Development goals promoted by the United Nations General Assembly and coordinates capacity-building with institutions including the Inter-American Development Bank and the OAS.
Core programs include territorial mapping, legal defense, environmental education, and sustainable enterprise development. Mapping initiatives employ methodologies from the Global Forest Watch platform, satellite partnerships with NASA, and field protocols used by the Rainforest Alliance. Legal defense projects have produced casework submitted to the Ecuadorian Constitutional Court, the Constitutional Tribunal of Bolivia, and the Colombian Constitutional Court, often in alliance with the Center for International Environmental Law and regional bar associations. Education programs draw on curricula developed with the University of São Paulo and the National Autonomous University of Mexico, while livelihoods initiatives connect Indigenous cooperatives to markets through partnerships with the International Labour Organization and the Fairtrade International network. Rapid response teams coordinate with conservation NGOs such as Conservation International and The Nature Conservancy during land-grabbing or deforestation incidents.
The organization is governed by a multinational board that has included representatives nominated by Indigenous federations like the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador and academic partners from the University of Chile and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Operational leadership comprises an executive director, a legal affairs director, program directors for biodiversity and livelihoods, and regional coordinators in Amazonian countries. Libertadores de la Tierra maintains advisory councils with experts from institutions including the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the Stockholm Environment Institute, and implements audits consistent with donor standards from institutions such as the European Commission and the Ford Foundation.
Membership involves Indigenous organizations, grassroots collectives, academic research centers, and allied NGOs. Participating bodies have included the Zapatista Army of National Liberation-aligned collectives in dialogue platforms, the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC), and regional youth networks linked to the Fridays for Future movement. Membership criteria emphasize territorial stewardship demonstrated through communal governance recognized by national registries like the Registro de Tierras Comunitarias and certifications such as those administered by Forest Stewardship Council. Volunteers and fellows often come from exchange programs with universities such as Harvard University, University of Oxford, and McGill University, while internships are supported by grants from the Open Society Foundations and the MacArthur Foundation.
Libertadores de la Tierra has contributed to legal victories that secured territorial titles and protected areas, influenced national policy reform in countries including Ecuador and Bolivia, and supported community-led monitoring that reduced deforestation rates in pilot watersheds. The organization’s work has been cited in reports by the United Nations Environment Programme and featured at international venues such as the UNFCCC COP and the World Economic Forum. Awards and recognitions include acknowledgments from the Right Livelihood Award committee and regional environmental prizes granted by the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Prince Claus Fund.
Critics have accused Libertadores de la Tierra of prioritizing international funding channels associated with institutions such as the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank over local autonomy, and some Indigenous leaders have questioned partnerships with corporate actors like the Vale and Glencore supply chains. Academic critiques from scholars at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and the University of São Paulo have debated the organization’s approach to traditional governance versus market-based conservation mechanisms. Allegations regarding transparency prompted internal audits reviewed by auditors linked to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, leading to governance reforms and renewed focus on community consent protocols overseen by regional human rights bodies such as the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.