An indigenous leader is assassinated in northern Ecuador

The Conaie blames the Ecuadorian government "directly" for "the loss of Mendúa"

The president of the country promises that "this crime will not go unpunished"

MADRID, 27 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (Conaie) has denounced this Sunday that the indigenous leader Eduardo Mendúa has been assassinated in the province of Sucumbíos, in the north of the country.

The Conaie has reported that Mendúa has died outside his home, after being shot by hooded men, maintaining that his death is related to his actions to fight oil exploitation in the Amazon.

The leader of the indigenous confederation, Leonidas Iza, has indicated in a statement that Mendúa "was one of the most visible faces in resistance for the defense of the territory", since he fought "against extractive policies".

"We hold the Petroecuador company, the national government, directly responsible for the loss of our colleague Eduardo Mendúa," said Iza, who regretted that there is an increase in conflict in the Ecuadorian Amazon, which has increased in recent months by the use of firearms, by the presence of oil companies.

Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso has shown his "solidarity" with the family of the indigenous leader and with Conaie, and has promised that "this crime will not go unpunished."

"We have ordered all investigative actions to be carried out to find those responsible and bring them to justice," he announced through his official profile on the social network Twitter.

The country's Presidency has indicated that investigative teams from the Police and the Prosecutor's Office "must locate those responsible and bring them to justice."

The Minister of the Interior, Juan Zapata, has confirmed the Government's requests and has assured that teams from the National Directorate for the Investigation of Crimes against Life, Violent Deaths, Disappearances, Kidnapping and Extortion (Dinased) have already been transferred to support the work investigation of the Public Ministry.