OTTAWA — Several Canadian organizations and civil society leaders are calling for a halt to a Canada-Ecuador free trade agreement, which they say will pose a risk to the environment and exacerbate a human rights crisis in Ecuador.

Negotiations on a Canada-Ecuador free trade agreement concluded in early 2025 and the proposed deal would see Ecuador remove tariffs effectively on all Canadian goods.

But critics say the deal aims to increase Canadian mining investment.

Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada Ketty Nivyabandi says Indigenous women in Ecuador worry it will exacerbate human rights concerns related to mining operations.

Peggy Nash, a former NDP MP and executive director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, says the agreement must be rejected as long as it privileges corporations and investors over people and the planet.

Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu told a House of Commons committee in October that the agreement is modern and ambitious and will create new opportunities for Canadian exporters, especially in clean technology and agriculture.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2026.

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press