Sarayaku

Not to be confused with Sarayacu District in Peru.
Banana blossoms in Puyo.
(Photo: Martin Zeise, Berlin)
Bridge over the river Pastazas between Puyo and Macas.
(Photo: André Hübner)

Sarayaku (Quechuan: "The River of Corn"; also transcribed Sarayacu) is a territory and a village situated by the Bobonaza River in the province of Pastaza in the southern part of el Oriente, the Amazonic region of Ecuador. The territory incorporates a number of villages.

It has a total population figure of between 1,000 and 2,000 Kichwa-speaking people, who call themselves the Runa people of Sarayaku, or the Sarayaku people. The leader of the Sarayaku people is Tupak Viteri (2022).

Since the early 21st century, the Sarayaku have engaged in a decade-long effort to resist efforts to drill for oil in their community, putting them at cross purposes with the Ecuadorian government and various multinational oil companies. The Sarayaku have used protests and legal challenges, successfully pursuing a suit in court.[1]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference ecuadorinND was invoked but never defined (see the help page).