Comunidad Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles community is located in the Durán canton, Guayas province, and is formed by 75 campesino peasant families who are part of the Montubio people. The families have lived and worked in the 94-hectare for several decades, cultivating the land and protecting it. The community has consistently defended the territory, advocating for the legitimate recognition of their rights of possession and ownership of the property before various state authorities.
In 1996, 17 families living in the community formed the association “Ni Un Paso Atrás” to seek recognition of their legitimate possession and ownership of the territory. To achieve this same purpose, the remaining 58 families formed the “Unidos Vencemos” Association, which also sought the legitimate recognition of their rights to the Los Ángeles property through the Agrarian Law; becoming pioneers in the use of this law for this specific purpose.
The process for recognizing the community’s rights has been long and filled with obstacles. In 2015, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Land Redistribution Program issued a declaration of public utility for the Los Ángeles property to benefit campesino peasant families, an important milestone in their struggle.
However, due to the interests of shrimp farming companies in agricultural lands in the region, such as those on the Los Ángeles property, the community faces increased risks. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the shrimp farming company INDALSUD S.A. has begun to influence the associations organizational structure and to exclude those who refuse to sell their land. Subsequently, a company with alleged ties to INDALSUD S.A., Trupeca S.A.S., purchased part of the Los Ángeles territory, despite the legal ban on selling the land.
In this context, the community has faced harassment, physical assaults, raids, and even forced displacement through an eviction in April 2026. As a result of these actions, 31 families from the Los Ángeles community remain in resistance and are fighting their case in court, hoping for the recognition and protection of their rights.
