Jambato, the Harlequin Toad, the Plaintiff
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Frogs and toads are making headlines defending their constitutional rights. In a successful Rights of Nature case in Ecuador, the Jambato – a toad with an orange belly and black back – has now stopped an infrastructure project in Angamarca. RoN cases are often told as David vs. Goliath stories: Indigenous communities or grassroots environmental movements defeat overmighty companies or state agencies in court. The Jambato case illustrates that this narrative tends to oversimplify the conflicts behind RoN cases. They are often shaped by complex power dynamics and deep disagreements within the affected communities.
Authors: Jenny García Ruales, Andreas Gutmann
Language: English
Topic: Environmental law and policy
Subfield: Law
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7152120399