What President Daniel Noboa’s Election Could Mean for Ecuador’s Chocó Andino

In August of 2023, Ecuadorians voted with the forest in their hearts. In a landmark referendum, they said no to mining in the Chocó Andino—a region of deep ecological and cultural importance, and one of the most biodiverse places on Earth. That same day, they also voted to leave oil in the ground in the Yasuní. These votes weren’t just about policies. They were about identity, vision, and the soul of a country.

Now, with Daniel Noboa stepping into the presidency, many of us are wondering: what’s next for the rights of Nature?

Noboa, Ecuador’s youngest-ever president, campaigned largely on promises of economic revival and national security. While his platform said little about environmental issues, the truth is he inherits a moment shaped by the will of the people—a mandate for conservation that cannot be ignored.

The Chocó Andino isn’t just a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It’s a living classroom, a water source, a spiritual sanctuary. It’s home to over 400 species of birds, countless endemic plants and amphibians, cloud-kissed peaks, and families whose ancestral ties to the land stretch back for generations.

And it is under threat—from mining interests, illegal deforestation, and extractive models that see only short-term gains.

The 2023 referendum gave us a rare window: legal recognition that the Chocó Andino should not be sacrificed. But legal wins are only as strong as the political will behind them. This is where President Noboa must decide what kind of legacy he wants to leave.

The communities of the Chocó Andino have long been the guardians of the forest—creating ecotourism initiatives, regenerative farms, and conservation projects rooted in deep place-based knowledge. They’ve shown what sustainable development can look like in practice. Now, they need partnership. They need enforcement of mining bans, not just words. They need investment in real alternatives: in eco-education, community-led tourism, land-based learning, and climate resilience infrastructure.

At Cloud Forest Institute, we believe this moment is not just political—it’s transformational. The path Noboa chooses could either erode years of grassroots efforts or finally align national policy with the visionary work already happening on the ground. We hope he sees that protecting the Chocó Andino is not a barrier to economic development—it’s a blueprint for a future where ecology and economy are no longer in conflict.

We’ll be watching. We’ll be participating. And we’ll be doing what we’ve always done—walking alongside communities, planting seeds of regeneration, and inviting others to come learn, grow, and protect what remains.