A referendum on banning oil exploitation in the Yasuní National Park was held in Ecuador on 20 August 2023 alongside general elections. If the proposal was accepted, a progressive withdrawal of all activities related to oil extraction would occur within one year from the announcement of the official results, and the state would not be able to take action intending to initiate new contracts to continue oil exploration in the block. The referendum was a popular initiative demanded by indigenous communities for more than ten years before being finally validated by the Constitutional Court in May 2023.
The proposal was approved. The choice was seen as a blow to President Guillermo Lasso, who had advocated for drilling. State oil company Petroecuador will have to dismantle its drilling operations in the area in the coming months.
Political campaign
The positions presented by the various political and social organizations are as follows:
Support Yes vote
Popular Unity
Socialist Party – Broad Front of Ecuador
General Union of Ecuadorian Workers
Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador
Support No vote
AMIGO Movement
Confederación Intercultural de Pueblos y Nacionalidades del Ecuador Amaru
Position of presidential candidates
The campaigns of Jan Topić, Yaku Pérez, Daniel Noboa Azín, Christian Zurita and Otto Sonnenholzner have indicated they support a yes vote in the referendum, while the campaigns of Bolívar Armijos, Xavier Hervas and Luisa González have indicated support for a no vote.
