Ecuador has begun shutting down oil operations in a protected area of the Amazon, following a referendum in which citizens voted to end drilling in Yasuni National Park. The government recently closed the Ishpingo B-56 well, one of nearly 250 wells in the 43-ITT block within the park, a year after the referendum. In August 2022, around 60% of Ecuadorians voted against continuing oil drilling in this biodiversity-rich area, home to uncontacted tribes and designated a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.

The state oil company Petroecuador is now required to dismantle its operations, but the government has requested a five-year extension to fully close more than 200 wells, drawing criticism for not acting faster. Ecuador’s Energy and Mines Minister Antonio Goncalves affirmed that the government is beginning to comply with the referendum’s decision, though environmental advocates, like Amazon Watch’s Kevin Koenig, argue that the closure of just one well does not fulfill the court’s order to shut down all wells within a year.