QUITO — Ecuador’s government passed a new law governing protected areas, triggering strong criticism from indigenous leaders, legal experts and environmental advocates who argue it violates national and international protection.

The piece of legislation, passed on Thursday by a vote of 80-23 in the 151-seat chamber, permit private entities – including foreign companies – to participate in the management of conservation zones.

Government officials claim the measure will bolster oversight of protect lands, enhance park security, support ecotourism and curb illegal mining, while maintaining a ban on extractive activities.

However, critics warn the law could facilitate land grabs, weaken constitutional safeguards and lead to greater environmental degradation. They also accused lawmakers of pushing the bill through without consulting affected communities.

“This is constitutional vandalism,” said Oscar Soria, co-CEO of the international policy group The Common Initiative. “Ecuador has shattered its international credibility and invited isolation from the global community.”

Opponents also say the law violates at least 15 international agreements – including the ILO Convention 169 and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

“The legislators of Ecuador reopened a historic wound,” said Justino Piaguaje, leader of the Siekopai peoples and head of the NASIEPAI Indigenous organization.

Piaguaje slammed the law as “dangerous and unconstitutional" and said it not only reinforces systemic violations of Indigenous rights but “actively perpetuates a legacy of dispossession and violence that stretches back to the colonial era.”

"It threatens our survival and desecrates the dignity of the Ecuadorian people,” he said.

Valentina Centeno, president of the parliament’s Economic Development Commission, insisted the law does not open the door to extractive industries and that here is a provision “that explicitly prohibits” them.

Still, Indigenous leaders say the process lacked transparency and bypassed meaningful dialogue with their communities. Legal challenges are already underway, with Indigenous organizations vowing to take the case to Ecuador’s Constitutional Court and international forums. — Euronews