[Ed. Note: This article is reproduced
with permission from the "Multinational Monitor", Vol XVI, No. 1-2 January/
February 1995] A M A Z O N O I L O F F E N S I V E By Chris Jochnick Chris Jochnick is the
legal director of the New Cork City- based Center for Economic and Social Rights.
"When we indigenous peoples talk
about the environment, we are not just talking about the trees, rivers and butterflies. We
are also talking about human beings. Likewise, when we talk of human rights, we are not
just talking about the right to free speech. We are talking of the political, economic,
social and cultural rights of all peoples."
--- --- Pandam
Vice-president of the Confederation of
Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE).
"Man has the fundamental right to
freedom, equality and adequate conditions of life, in an environment of a quality that
permits a life of dignity and well-being."
--- --- United
Nations
The Amazon Forest in Ecuador is well
known for her biodiversity of plant and animal life. In addition, 95,000 indigenous people
live in the region. However, the oil extraction in the region has led to widespread
environmental problems and endangered the indigenous cultures. Of course, the oil
companies have contributed to the economy and development of the country. In this section,
let us examine oil extraction in Ecuador.
Oil companies have brought in
tremendous wealth to Ecuador government’s revenues. For example, Texaco, a US oil
company has brought $24 billion in 18 years to the local government.
Some companies have provided health and
educational facilities to the local people in order to help them. Employment of local
people has also started.
The negative effects
Oil extraction in the region leads to diseases, water contamination, breakdown of traditional cultures and loss of land. As the workers come into contact with the Indigenous people, some of them pass diseases to the locals. The diseases are new to local people and they do not have cures to them. As a result, many of them can die due to a flu. The water contamination due to the discharge of wastes reaches a very unhealthy level. Contact between the outside world and the local Indigenous people actually causes the breakdown of their traditional cultures. As oil extraction involves the clearing of forests, many locals are forced to move out of their land. All these factors eventually lead to environmental, social and health problems.
In March 1994, the New York City-based
Centre for Economic and Social Rights (CESR) publicised a report on the environmental
problems of the Amazon Forest in Ecuador. They charged the government with human rights
violations. The report accounted the levels of toxic contamination and health problems in
the region.
Judith Kimerling’s Amazon Crude, published by the National Resources
Defence Council in 1991, gives an account for the damages oil companies have done to the
region. It is estimated that 4.3 million gallons of toxic wastes are discharged in the
area. The level of toxic contaminants in the drinking water of the people reached 1,000
times the safety level recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. All these
factors lead to health problems of the people, let alone the animals and environment.
There is an increasing trend in cancers, birth defects, gastrointestinal problems, skin
rashes etc. believed to be caused by the pollution.
In order to extract oil, trees are cut
down. This caused deforestation, which then affects the Indigenous people living in the
region. The people came into contact with the outside world. This proved to break down the
traditions of the local people. New diseases infected the locals, who have no cure for
them. All these problems eventually led the Indigenous people into alcoholism and
prostitution. The Ecuador government published a study in 1987. Due to the oil
companies’ activities, the Cofan population has been greatly reduced from 15,000 to
about 300 and the Tetetes and the Tagiere have completely disappeared. The Huaorani people
will not be able to escape the disaster. The Huaorani population is small, about 1,200,
Dr. William T. Vickers, an anthropologist with 26 years of experience in Latin America
says, “…it is totally possible that the Huaorani culture and language will
disappear within two or three generations.”
The fight for the forest
People, not only the locals, from all over the world are concerned with the
problems faced by the Amazon Forest. Actions have been taken to minimize the effects of
the problems.
Texaco, an U.S. private oil company, faces a $1.5 billion lawsuit in a New York
Federal Court. The case was started in 1993 by a team of lawyers headed by Cristobal
Bonifaz and Joseph Kohn of Kohn, Naft and Graf of Philadelphia, who spoke on behalf of
30,000 Ecuador plaintiffs.
In January 1994, the Ecuador government announced that the oil exploration project
would include double the area of rainforest. This decision by the government was countered
by environmental and indigenous groups together with international organizations such as
the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) and Oxfam America. Local people who protested against
the decision took over the offices of the Ministry of Energy and Mines in Quito. They
forebode any development in the project until the oil companies have made up for the
damages that have been done. They wanted the government to implement more restricting laws
to check on the oil companies.
In March 1994, the New York City-based
Centre for Economic and Social Rights (CESR) publicised a report on the environmental
problems of the Amazon Forest in Ecuador. They charged the government with human rights
violations. The report accounted the levels of toxic contamination and health problems in
the region.
The oil companies’
action
Many oil companies have taken action to minimize the impact of their activities on
the environment and the Indigenous people.
Reforestation is being practised. This guarantees the growing of trees, thus
preventing soil erosion, flooding, and other environmental problems.
The wide use of modern technology, such as drilling practices, reinjection of
production wastes has reduced the effects of the activities.
Some oil companies have spent large amounts of money on environmental protection.
Maxus, an U.S. oil company, signed a “Friendship Agreement” with the
Huaorani in 1993. Maxus has signed contracts with the government to provide health and
educational services to the locals, such as medical and dental care, clinics, schoolrooms
and educational materials. They also employed Indigenous people in oil extraction.