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FARMERS AND EARN ECOLOGISTAS ECUATORIANOS BATTLE AGAINST GENETICALLY MODIFIED

Network for a Transgenic - Free Latin America
Quevedo - Ecuador, January 16, 2019

Constitutional Civil Judge Canton Quevedo (province of Los Ríos - Ecuador), accepted a protective action in favor of the peasants in the province of Los Rios, facing a lawsuit filed by two farmers ' organizations, sponsored Ombudsman.

The lawsuit was filed after monitoring by Ecological Action and Ombudsman in soybean producing areas, meeting glyphosate - resistant transgenic soybeans, planted in the field; this despite the fact that Ecuador is a country Constitutionally Free seeds and crops.

In a first hearing, the judge ordered a new monitoring with the participation of the plaintiffs together with the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrocalidad, confirming that the area is being illegally planted transgenic soy.

Faced with this evidence, the judge granted protective action, noting that GM crops violate the rights to life, health, work, a healthy environment and the rights of nature.

In its judgment the court ordered

The Ministry of Agriculture:

-decomisar, remove and burn all GM crops found in monitoring
-subject the planting period, seize, remove and burn all batches of transgenic seed to prevent new plantings
Establish a permanent monitoring program to prevent sows in Ecuador transgenic crops (except for experimental purposes)
-To about the dangers of GM to its officials and farmers in the region
which as a remedy, including on its website include the inscription "GMO Free Ecuador".

Refer the decision to the Prosecutor of all cantons in the province of Los Ríos where GM crops was found, to identify those responsible, by act or omission, the entry of transgenic soy.

In this regard, Richard Intriago of FECAOL said : "This is a landmark ruling because since Ecuador was declared free of transgenics have made every effort to violate the Constitution, and the judge's decision strengthens our struggle."

For his part, President of the Federation of Agricultural Center Quevedo, one of the plaintiffs organizations acknowledged that "this is just the beginning of everything, because now we have to watch that the judge 's decision is met".

Representatives of Ecological Action, an organization that has made constant monitoring on the presence of GM crops in the country, received with great joy the judge's decision because it means a breakthrough in the recognition of rights and pledged to remain vigilant so that Ecuadorian agro be GM free.

One participant at the public hearing said that it is high time that the Ministry of Agriculture to fulfill its obligation to prevent the planting of GM crops in our province.