Eduardo Mendúa

Eduardo Mendúa Vargas (c. 1983 – 26 February 2023) was an Ecuadorian indigenous leader, environmentalist, and land rights activist from the indigenous Cofán community who campaigned against oil drilling in Dureno, a Cofán village in Sucumbíos Province within the Amazon basin. On 26 February 2023, Mendúa was shot dead outside his home.

Activism Between 2010 and 2016, Mendúa served two terms as president of the Dureno Cofán community. He later became a member of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Spanish: Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas del Ecuador, or CONAIE), and served as its director of international relationships from 2021 until his death. Petroecuador, the national oil company of Ecuador, announced plans to expand its operations east of Nueva Loja, including building 30 oil wells along the banks of the Aguarico river which overlapped Cofán land.

Mendúa's death occurred almost two years after the killing of his brother Lino; as of 27 February 2023, Lino's death also remains unsolved. CONAIE's president, Leonidas Iza Salazar, condemned Mendúa's death, and said that both Lasso and Petroeducador were responsible, citing ongoing conflict in the area over oil drilling between the government and indigenous communities.

Personal life Mendúa was married to Fabiola Ortiz, with whom he had six children.