Title: Patricia Gualinga Content: thumb|Patricia Gualinga Patricia Gualinga, (or Patricia Gualinga Montalvo) is a female human rights defender and indigenous rights defender of the Pueblo Kichwa de Sarayaku (Kichwa People of Sarayaku). Her community is an indigenous community in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Patricia's nieces Nina Gualinga and Helena Gualinga are also environmental and indigenous rights activists. Her mother Cristina Gualinga is also a land defender. Her mother had passed down the family tradition. Her sister Noemí Gualinga has a lower profile as an activist. However, her sister is a also community leader. Her brother Eriberto Gualinga is a globetrotting movie maker. Her brother documents the Sarayaku resistance. Gualinga currently lives in cantón del Puyo, in the Pastaza Province of Ecuador. == Activism == Gualinga is the International Relations director for the Kichwa First People of Sarayaku. She has played an important role in the fight for indigenous rights. Gualinga is a spokeswoman for many environmental projects. She was the leader of the women's group of the Pueblo Kichwa de Sarayaku (Kichwa People of Sarayaku) for 6 years. She worked to strengthen the organisation of women in the community. Sht organised workshops and childcare for women attending the workshops to learn how to speak for the community. She responded to media and responded to the arguments of industries and governments. === Inter-American Court of Human Rights === In 2012, Gualinga was a representative in a case presented to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR). The Ecuadorian government authorized oil exploration by Argentinian oil company Compañía General de Combustibles (CGC). It is also known as the Argentinean General Fuel Company. It was on territory held by the Sarayaku, exploration which the community resisted through local protests and a court case. The community won this case, The Ecuadorian government was found guilty of human rights violations. It was for authorizing oil exploration and militarization of Sarayaku lands without first consulting the community. The appropriation of community land for extractive industries without free, prior, and informed consent was found to have been illegal. In 2018, Gualinga joined the Climate Change Summit of COP23. She had the opportunity to speak about Amazonian communities in Germany. She was expanding her connections and cause. She is a spokesperson for the indigenous-led proposal 'Kawsak Sacha', or 'Living Forest'. It calls for legal protection of the Ecuadorian Amazon. She had successfully defended Sarayaku lands in the 2012 case. Gualinga currently works to protect the Kichwa People of Sarayaku and their lands from human rights violations. It resulted from similar oil extraction projects by Chinese companies. == Death threats == Gualinga was the victim of a home invasion. On 5 January 2018, an unidentified man entered by breaking a window with a thrown rock and shouted death threats at her. He was saying "the next time I will kill you". The attacker escaped, despite being chased by a policeman. Many Indigenous rights defenders have previously reported threats and harassment as a result of their human rights work. In response, indigenous rights defense collective Mujeres Amazónicas (Amazonian Women) called for investigations into the intimidation of its members. It was delivering on March 9, 2020. Over 250,000 signatures were submitted to the Attorney General of Ecuador. It was complaining about the stopping of the investigations. Ecuador had highlighted the Escazú Agreement in February 2020. It was a commitment to protect environment and land defenders by Latin American nations. It shows the highest rates of violent deaths for such activists. 116 environmental defenders had been killed in the region in 2017, according to a Global Witness report.