"We are incredibly impressed with the fact that more than 10.000 individuals cast their vote for YASunidos! Thanks to everybody for voting for us and spreading the word!", said Elena Gálvez from YASunidos.

The Human Rights Tulip, which carries a prize money of € 100.000 is an award of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs for courageous human rights defenders who promote and support human rights in innovative ways. Between September 29 and October 10 the public was called upon to vote for their favourite among 30 nominated candidates. The young environmental alliance have ended with a distance of more than 1000 votes in the first place of the online-voting and will be going to the next round.

That means that the top-three of the public favourites and another three "wild card candidates", selected by a technical committee, will build the final six candidates. These six candidates will be recommended by a international jury to the Netherlands Minister of Foreign Affairs, who will then choose the final winner early November this year.

Pato Chávez from YASunidos: "Although the Human Rights Tulip have not been won yet, it is already a great success that so many people from Ecuador and different parts of the world join the defense of the Yasuní also as part of their own affair. We are very happy and grateful that the people continue to trust in us and our work! SI, SI, SI long live the YASUNÍ!"