The Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN) is proud to recognize Ricardo Frez as this month’s Outstanding Member of the Month for his work defending ecosystems and communities across Chile through environmental justice and Rights of Nature advocacy.
Ricardo Frez is the Executive Coordinator of NGO Defensa Ambiental, a Chilean non-profit organization founded in 2016 that provides legal support and environmental advocacy to communities and Indigenous peoples facing socio-environmental conflicts. As an environmental lawyer specializing in rivers and environmental compliance, Ricardo has become a leading voice in the defense of territories threatened by mining, hydroelectric projects, industrial forestry, and extractive industries.
Over the past years, Ricardo has accompanied communities across Chile in resisting projects that endanger high-Andean salt flats, wetlands, rivers, forests, and biodiversity. His work includes supporting Indigenous communities affected by lithium and gold mining in northern Chile, opposing mega-dams and hydroelectric projects in central and southern regions, and helping communities impacted by pollution from the forestry and pulp industries.
One of Ricardo’s most significant recent contributions was his role as Earth Prosecutor during the 11th Local Rights of Nature Tribunal in Chile, focused on the country’s industrial forestry model and devastating forest fires. The Tribunal issued a historic judgment condemning the Chilean forestry model as a serious violation of the Rights of Nature, recognizing the irreversible damage caused to ecosystems, local communities, and the Mapuche people. The judgment described the impacts of industrial monoculture plantations as forms of ecocide and ethnocide.
Reflecting on the experience, Ricardo shared:
“It was an incredibly powerful experience that challenged us to understand the forestry model in Chile from a historical, ecological, and social perspective. It also strengthened alliances between organizations and territories fighting against this destructive model.”
Ricardo also highlighted the importance of being part of GARN:
“GARN has been a fundamental space to connect with other struggles around the world. Knowing that the fight for the Rights of Nature is advancing globally gives us strength and energy to continue imagining new ways to protect ecosystems in our territories.”
Through NGO Defensa Ambiental, Ricardo continues building legal strategies, strengthening territorial alliances, and defending the Rights of Nature alongside communities throughout Chile and Latin America.
✨ Nominate yourself, someone else, or an organization for next month’s recognition by joining GARN for free. You’ll receive the link to apply or nominate others straight in your inbox: garn.org/get-involved
