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One of the most known examples is the [[Chevron Corporation|Texaco-Chevron]] case. This american oil company operated in the Ecuadorian Amazon region between 1964 and 1992. During this period, Texaco drilled 339 wells in 15 petroleum fields and 627 toxic wastewater pits were abandoned, as well as other elements of the oil infrastructure. It is know now that obsolete and highly polluting technologies were used as a way to reduce economic expenses.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.raco.cat/index.php/rcda/article/view/280972/368631|title=Revista Catalana de Dret Ambiental|last=Pigrau|first=Antoni|date=July 27, 2014|work=The Texaco-Chevron Case in Ecuador: Law and Justice in the Age of Globalization|access-date=July 24, 2017|archive-url=http://www.raco.cat/index.php/rcda/article/view/280972/368631|archive-date=July 27, 2014|dead-url=}}</ref>
One of the most known examples is the [[Chevron Corporation|Texaco-Chevron]] case. This american oil company operated in the Ecuadorian Amazon region between 1964 and 1992. During this period, Texaco drilled 339 wells in 15 petroleum fields and 627 toxic wastewater pits were abandoned, as well as other elements of the oil infrastructure. It is know now that obsolete and highly polluting technologies were used as a way to reduce economic expenses.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.raco.cat/index.php/rcda/article/view/280972/368631|title=Revista Catalana de Dret Ambiental|last=Pigrau|first=Antoni|date=July 27, 2014|work=The Texaco-Chevron Case in Ecuador: Law and Justice in the Age of Globalization|access-date=July 24, 2017|archive-url=http://www.raco.cat/index.php/rcda/article/view/280972/368631|archive-date=July 27, 2014|dead-url=}}</ref>


After the company left the country, the government started legal actions to be compensated by the company, which tried to avoid the sentence of paying a fee of 19.000 million dollars. This conflict lasted for more than twenty years and in June 2017 the United States Supreme Court sentenced the rejection of the fee. The Ecuadorian social movements said they will continue trying to bring these companies in front of the justice.
After the company left the country, the government started legal actions to be compensated by the company, which tried to avoid the sentence of paying a fee of 19.000 million dollars. This conflict lasted for more than twenty years and in June 2017 the United States Supreme Court sentenced the rejection of the fee. The Ecuadorian social movements said they will continue trying to bring these companies in front of the justice.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.eluniverso.com/noticias/2017/06/19/nota/6239155/victoria-chevron-caso-contaminacion-ecuador-concede-corte-suprema|title=Victoria para Chevron en caso de contaminación en Ecuador, concede la Corte Suprema de Estados Unidos|date=2017-06-19|work=El Universo|access-date=2017-07-24|language=es-LA}}</ref>


== [[Yasuní-ITT Initiative|Yasuní-ITT]] ==
== [[Yasuní-ITT Initiative|Yasuní-ITT]] ==
In September 2013 the Ecuadorian government announced the exploitation of the Yasuní area and the 43 block, better known as ITT (Ishpingo, Tiputini and Tambococha), which was suposed to have a big economical impact.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/masqmenos-2/1/el-itt-se-ubica-como-la-fuente-mas-importante-de-ingresos|title=El ITT se ubica como la fuente más importante de ingresos|last=Telégrafo|first=El|date=2013-09-30|work=El Telégrafo|access-date=2017-07-24|language=es-LA}}</ref>
In September 2013 the Ecuadorian government announced the exploitation of the Yasuní area and the 43 block, better known as ITT (Ishpingo, Tiputini and Tambococha), which was suposed to have a big economical impact.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/masqmenos-2/1/el-itt-se-ubica-como-la-fuente-mas-importante-de-ingresos|title=El ITT se ubica como la fuente más importante de ingresos|last=Telégrafo|first=El|date=2013-09-30|work=El Telégrafo|access-date=2017-07-24|language=es-LA}}</ref>

=== Alicia's speech ===
On 3 October 2013, the Constituent Assembly in Quito decided about this question. Alicia Cawiya was invited to participate as Vice-President of the Huaorani Nation of Ecuador and she was expected to read the script given to her by her President, Chief Moi Enomenga. The speech acceded to oil drilling in her homeland in the headwaters of the Amazon River.

When Alicia stood up to talk she defied her President and the government and made [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqqfjBCmxwI her own speech], first in her native Huaorani language, then in Spanish, which denounced the oil companies. She spoke up in defence of her people.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://newint.org/features/2017/03/01/one-woman-against-big-oil-and-patriarchy|title=One woman against Big Oil and patriarchy|date=2017-03-01|work=New Internationalist|access-date=2017-07-24|language=en}}</ref>
{{Quote|text=Seven companies have been working in Huaorani territory and we have become poorer… How have we benefited? Not at all. |source=Newit.org|author=Alicia Cawiya }}Alicia's speech wasn't enough to change the decision of the Constituent Assembly and by 108 to 133 votes the Yasuní-TT exploitation was accepted.

== References ==

Revision as of 14:30, 24 July 2017

Alicia Cawiya was born in the Ñoneno community, in the Yasuní reservation (Ecuador). She is the Vice-President of the Huaorani Nation of Ecuador and one of the leaders of the movement against oil exploitation in her region. In 2013 she made a speech in Ecuador's parlament to protect Amazon from oil companies.

Oil companies conflict in Ecuador

Since 1972 Ecuador was an important oil exporter in South America -the third after Venezuela and Mexico. The infraestructures made to take the oil affected socially and ecologically the Ecuadorian Amazon region.[1]

After Chevron didn't accept the sentence of a fee of 9.500 millions dollars (which was increased to 19.000 million) Ecuadorian government start this campaign to show the actual pollution that the company produced in the area.
Campaign "The dirty hand of Chevron"

One of the most known examples is the Texaco-Chevron case. This american oil company operated in the Ecuadorian Amazon region between 1964 and 1992. During this period, Texaco drilled 339 wells in 15 petroleum fields and 627 toxic wastewater pits were abandoned, as well as other elements of the oil infrastructure. It is know now that obsolete and highly polluting technologies were used as a way to reduce economic expenses.[2]

After the company left the country, the government started legal actions to be compensated by the company, which tried to avoid the sentence of paying a fee of 19.000 million dollars. This conflict lasted for more than twenty years and in June 2017 the United States Supreme Court sentenced the rejection of the fee. The Ecuadorian social movements said they will continue trying to bring these companies in front of the justice.[3]

In September 2013 the Ecuadorian government announced the exploitation of the Yasuní area and the 43 block, better known as ITT (Ishpingo, Tiputini and Tambococha), which was suposed to have a big economical impact.[4]

Alicia's speech

On 3 October 2013, the Constituent Assembly in Quito decided about this question. Alicia Cawiya was invited to participate as Vice-President of the Huaorani Nation of Ecuador and she was expected to read the script given to her by her President, Chief Moi Enomenga. The speech acceded to oil drilling in her homeland in the headwaters of the Amazon River.

When Alicia stood up to talk she defied her President and the government and made her own speech, first in her native Huaorani language, then in Spanish, which denounced the oil companies. She spoke up in defence of her people.[5]

Seven companies have been working in Huaorani territory and we have become poorer… How have we benefited? Not at all.

— Alicia Cawiya, Newit.org

Alicia's speech wasn't enough to change the decision of the Constituent Assembly and by 108 to 133 votes the Yasuní-TT exploitation was accepted.

References

  1. ^ Ortiz, Pablo (1995). Marea negra en la Amazonia: conflictos socioambientales vinculados a la actividad petrolera en el Ecuador (in Spanish). Editorial Abya Yala. ISBN 9789978041468.
  2. ^ Pigrau, Antoni (July 27, 2014). "Revista Catalana de Dret Ambiental". The Texaco-Chevron Case in Ecuador: Law and Justice in the Age of Globalization. Retrieved July 24, 2017. {{cite news}}: Check |archive-url= value (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  3. ^ "Victoria para Chevron en caso de contaminación en Ecuador, concede la Corte Suprema de Estados Unidos". El Universo (in Spanish). 2017-06-19. Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  4. ^ Telégrafo, El (2013-09-30). "El ITT se ubica como la fuente más importante de ingresos". El Telégrafo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  5. ^ "One woman against Big Oil and patriarchy". New Internationalist. 2017-03-01. Retrieved 2017-07-24.