Anastasia
@anastasia-austin.bsky.social
Freelance investigative journalist and security analyst in LatAm focusing on organized crime, corruption, and the people who fight it.
Former InSight Crime investigator. Read my work: https://muckrack.com/anastasia-austin-1
Former InSight Crime investigator. Read my work: https://muckrack.com/anastasia-austin-1
In many videos, civilians can be heard shouting “we are not terrorists.”
“We’re scared and sad,” an indigenous organizer wrote me.
“We’re scared and sad,” an indigenous organizer wrote me.
October 15, 2025 at 2:05 AM
In many videos, civilians can be heard shouting “we are not terrorists.”
“We’re scared and sad,” an indigenous organizer wrote me.
“We’re scared and sad,” an indigenous organizer wrote me.
All this under the guise that the protests “are linked to organized crime and illegal mining.” Claims that have so far not been substantiated.
October 15, 2025 at 2:05 AM
All this under the guise that the protests “are linked to organized crime and illegal mining.” Claims that have so far not been substantiated.
They have thrown indigenous leaders into prisons reserved for the most violent organized criminals.
October 15, 2025 at 2:05 AM
They have thrown indigenous leaders into prisons reserved for the most violent organized criminals.
The “paro nacional’ has been going for almost a month. So far, security forces have killed one, injured dozens, and arrested hundreds.
October 15, 2025 at 2:05 AM
The “paro nacional’ has been going for almost a month. So far, security forces have killed one, injured dozens, and arrested hundreds.
Final word on this -- there's a lot of analysis (rightfully so) about what this strike will mean for Noboa. But I think its a pivotal moment for CONAIE itself which has had a rough year bit.ly/3G2JLjj
Ecuador’s Indigenous movement splinters over presidential election support
Indigenous voters likely hold the key to the April 13 election. But internal divisions may cost them their influence.
bit.ly
September 25, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Final word on this -- there's a lot of analysis (rightfully so) about what this strike will mean for Noboa. But I think its a pivotal moment for CONAIE itself which has had a rough year bit.ly/3G2JLjj
4. And (of course) bringing back the diesel subsidy. This one unites indigenous communities, transport workers, and social organizations who view it as an attack on Ecuador's poorest populations. It's also a common rallying cry for CONAIE's biggest strikes.
September 25, 2025 at 11:30 PM
4. And (of course) bringing back the diesel subsidy. This one unites indigenous communities, transport workers, and social organizations who view it as an attack on Ecuador's poorest populations. It's also a common rallying cry for CONAIE's biggest strikes.
3. Reduction of VAT from 15% to 12% and strengthening of public health and education systems. The VAT was raised last year, but the funds went primarily towards Noboa's war on gangs, while other institutions continue to suffer from a dearth of resources.
September 25, 2025 at 11:30 PM
3. Reduction of VAT from 15% to 12% and strengthening of public health and education systems. The VAT was raised last year, but the funds went primarily towards Noboa's war on gangs, while other institutions continue to suffer from a dearth of resources.
2. No constituent assembly referendum. Amidst repeated clashes with Ecuador's Constitutional Court, Noboa proposed a constitutional convention to rewrite the country's top law. The idea is on hold, for now, but CONAIE is demanding its scrapped permanently
September 25, 2025 at 11:30 PM
2. No constituent assembly referendum. Amidst repeated clashes with Ecuador's Constitutional Court, Noboa proposed a constitutional convention to rewrite the country's top law. The idea is on hold, for now, but CONAIE is demanding its scrapped permanently
1. A stop to Noboa's mining and oil expansion. Noboa has pushed hard for extractivist projects, often playing fast and loose with requirements in Ecuador's constitution, which has some of the strongest environmental and indigenous protections in the world. bit.ly/4oqd3Kr
Tapirs, hummingbirds and a billion-dollar bedrock of gold: the Ecuador reserve that is now a battlefield over a new mine
A licence to dig in the Cajas region has been welcomed by some as an answer to economic woes. Yet many fear it will devastate a fragile ecosystem and set the tone for further projects in the country
bit.ly
September 25, 2025 at 11:30 PM
1. A stop to Noboa's mining and oil expansion. Noboa has pushed hard for extractivist projects, often playing fast and loose with requirements in Ecuador's constitution, which has some of the strongest environmental and indigenous protections in the world. bit.ly/4oqd3Kr
For more on this story -- check out my recent piece in the Guardian with @douwedenheld.bsky.social : bit.ly/4oqd3Kr
Tapirs, hummingbirds and a billion-dollar bedrock of gold: the Ecuador reserve that is now a battlefield over a new mine
A licence to dig in the Cajas region has been welcomed by some as an answer to economic woes. Yet many fear it will devastate a fragile ecosystem and set the tone for further projects in the country
bit.ly
August 7, 2025 at 4:15 PM
For more on this story -- check out my recent piece in the Guardian with @douwedenheld.bsky.social : bit.ly/4oqd3Kr
Read it here! www.offmap.media/p/colombias-...
TBD #4: Colombia's Contested Landscapes
Cycling from Murillo to Ibagué, we confront perceptions of insecurity in a country scarred by conflict and struggle to figure out what's real... and what's prejudice.
www.offmap.media
March 30, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Read it here! www.offmap.media/p/colombias-...