The Chocó bioregion, on Ecuador’s northern border with Colombia, is one of the most biodiverse areas in the world. Communities and civil society groups there face growing threats from illegal logging and mining. Armed groups are increasingly taking over territories while the state remains largely indifferent, creating an even more complex and dangerous environment for those protecting the land.
As Gustavo Redin Guerrero, Vice President of CEDENMA, Ecuador’s national environmental network (Coordinadora Ecuatoriana de Organizaciones para la Defensa de la Naturaleza y el Medio Ambiente), explained:
“The main risks are linked entirely to extractive activities, especially mining and logging… These activities carry security risks in terms of organised crime, governments, and companies seeking to exploit these areas. Those defending and conserving these territories are always at risk because they are on the front line.”
In response, CEDENMA and the Alianza del Chocó, a coalition of grassroots organisations, turned to Open Briefing for tailored support to strengthen their ability to operate safely.
A collaborative, in-person approach
Open Briefing’s safety and security team worked closely with CEDENMA and the Alianza del Chocó to co-design a three-day, in-person training in the capital, Quito. Twenty-five participants from 10 organisations attended, including social leaders, scientists, and forest guards.
The workshops explored three interconnected levels of security:
- Personal – wellbeing and safety of individual defenders
- Organisational – operational capacity and procedures
- Network – sharing resources and collective action
Tailoring the training to local needs
The content of the training was co-designed with CEDENMA and the Alianza del Chocó to reflect their specific realities. Rather than a one-size-fits-all package, the sessions focused on three interconnected areas identified together with participants:
- Protective guidelines and equipment for rangers and scientists.
- A new methodological system for context analysis across CEDENMA.
- Preparation for criminalisation and legal threats through shared legal support.
“This workshop demonstrated that security cannot be thought of in isolation. It was the first time these organisations reflected together on how to protect themselves as a network, and that marked a fundamental change in their understanding of risks,” explained Juan Goyanes, a safety and security consultant at Open Briefing.
He added that “The impact of doing it face to face was enormous. The trust and cohesion that were generated in Quito would have been difficult to achieve in a virtual process. We left this meeting with concrete plans, but also with a stronger community.”
Strengthening long-term collaboration
As Gustavo shared, the collaboration has already built new capacity and stronger alliances:
“Collaborating with Open Briefing has been vital, as it allowed us to create collective spaces for discourse, training, and coaching. The organisations involved now have better information, new skills, and have strengthened themselves both institutionally and as groups. This has been especially important for CEDENMA, as it has enabled us to come together with the organisations we seek to work and form alliances, reach agreements, and develop joint projects and processes.”
Looking ahead, Gustavo added that maintaining collaboration will be essential:
“We think it’s extremely important to continue collaborating with Open Briefing in the future, as conditions in Ecuador are becoming increasingly complicated and we believe that Open Briefing’s experience with the work of both the Chocó Alliance and CEDENMA is essential in being able to continue developing the skills needed to improve security conditions for nature’s defenders in some way.”
Juan echoed the value of this long-term partnership:
“This process is not just about training in security, but about building a joint path. With CEDENMA and Alianza del Chocó, we are laying the foundations for a partnership to strengthen environmental defenders in Ecuador.”
Looking ahead
The partnership has created a foundation for deeper collaboration on collective protection and legal preparedness. Building on the success of the training in Quito, CEDENMA are exploring next steps to embed these practices and strengthen safety and resilience across Ecuador’s environmental movement.
Open Briefing is committed to partnering with grassroots activists, social movements, and their allies to protect Indigenous, land, and environmental defenders across the globe. Fully-funded holistic security support is available via our responsive assistance mechanism. Or if you are a funder interested in helping us resource this work, we’d love to talk.