Nearly two decades ago Ecuador became the first country to legally enshrine the rights of nature in its constitution. This landmark move made the country the first in the world to recognize ecosystems as living entities with legal rights. Now, that is all at risk.

On Nov. 16, voters will head to the polls to decide on a constitutional referendum that, if approved, would dissolve the current constitution—paving the way for the potential erosion of the fundamental rights it established for nature and Indigenous communities. If voters approve the referendum, it would open the door for Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa to rewrite the constitution; it’s unclear what any potential revisions might look like.

“The fact that they want to change a constitution that recognized so many rights, not ju

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