Ecologists based in Latin American countries have long been doing cutting edge science despite the obstacles temporary imposed by governments with anti-science narratives - a problem that has been spreading globally in recent years. Throughout the history of many of these countries, ecologists were put at a severe disadvantage in generating data to manage, conserve, and restore natural ecosystems with limited and unstable resources. Moreover, the knowledge they produce is hardly incorporated into environmental policies. We believe that all members of the ESA have a great deal to learn from scientists who are either from, or work in Latin America, especially with respect to their strategies to cope with local governments and politicians who often have little regard for environmental issues. We are especially interested in how these scientists have been using accumulated ecological knowledge, technological advancements, and support from the international community to address environmental issues in hostile political contexts, even when that means confronting unreasonable political regimes. We hope this session will foster new collaborations among Latin American ecologists, as well as between Latin Americans and ecologists from other countries that face similar struggles or have empathy with the cause. Through this session we also want to highlight the necessity for ecologists to be the voice for the environment in challenging political climates and to encourage ESA attendees to become active agents towards a more peaceful and socially just future.