Ecuador’s Esmeraldas Provincial Court recently handed down its decision on the world’s first constitutionally-based Rights of Nature lawsuit. The Afro-descendant community of La Chiquita and the Awá community of Guadualito asked the court for repairs and suspension of all harmful plantation activities performed by Los Andes and Palesema Oil Palm Companies. However, according to the court’s decision, the responsibilities for remediating damages were assigned to the state and not oil palm companies. Unfortunately, even after the Court’s decision, the companies continue violating the Rights of Nature by dumping chemicals and wastewater into the river and extracting palm oil from plantation fruit. Photo credit: Hazlewood