The request for the protection of the rights of the Kichwa indigenous people of Sarayaku and their defenders concerns their rights to life, personal integrity, freedom of movement, as well as their relationship with their ancestral territory. Those concerned have been affected by threats, intimidation and torture involving members of the Ecuadorian Army. The facts referred to in the petition take place in the context of a license granted by the Ecuadorian State to a private company for exploration and exploitation of the natural resources within the Sarayaku territory.