A few years ago, Correa petitioned the international climate-conscious political sphere for financial compensation and carbon credit to keep Amazonian trees alive and oil in the ground. Out of this novel concept, the Yasuni-ITT initiative was born.
Yet Correa's former vice-president warns in a recent Guardian article that, "If Correa wins [the election] the ITT initiative will be dropped. The infrastructure is already in place to exploit the oil... Correa takes credit for the ITT initiative outside of Ecuador. But in reality he doesn't feel comfortable with it. He's preparing to blame rich nations for not giving enough to make it work."
Not only is the ITT initiative in question, according to an AMAZON WATCH press release:
"The Ecuadorian Ministry of Hydrocarbons, the Committee of Hydrocarbon Tender, and the state-run oil company Petroamazonas plan to sell 16 Amazonian blocks, covering nearly ten million acres of primary forest and indigenous land in the Southeastern Ecuadorian Amazon. The area is home to seven indigenous nationalities: the Shuar, Achuar, Kichwa, Shiwiar, Andoa, Waorani and Sápara. In none of the blocks has the Ecuadorian government obtained Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), an internationally recognized human rights benchmark intended to protect the rights of indigenous communities whose lives and lands are affected by extractive mega-projects such as oil drilling"
Isn't that just great? An "anti-imperialist" president who at the end of the day is all about exploiting indigenous minorities and the environment to make money...I first learned of the Ecuadorian Government's plans to auction more than 10 million acres of virgin rainforest indigenous lands when I attended a community event in Houston, TX, hosted by the Tar Sands Blockade in early February. Many members of the Tar Sands Blockade assisted two indigenous community leaders earlier that day in protesting the auctioning off of their lands' mineral rights at the Winter North American Prospect Expo (NAPE)--- where the land auctions began. Oil and Gas companies have until May 2013 to place their bids.
Jaime Vargas, President of the Achuar Nationality of Ecuador, was in Houston defending his land for his people. The Achuar of Ecuador were never defeated by the Spanish colonialists and are recognized as an independent nation by the pluri-nationalistic Ecuadorian constitution--- and yet these "Round XI" oil auctions compromise 100% of their community's land.
At the community meeting in Houston, Vargas shared with us his view that ceding their tribal lands to the oil industry represented a total destruction of their tradition-- he's seen firsthand how neighboring tribes with oil leases have fallen into poverty, prostitution, alcoholism, loss of language, culture and land... and he is not willing to see the same thing happen to his people.
Correa's shift toward oil and gas exploitation is disappointing to say the very least. One acre of Ecuadorian rainforest can hold more tree species than all of North America. The Amazon is one of the most important places in the world, and the people who have lived there sustainably for generations want to protect it--- and yet it is being literally undermined for the benefit of companies like Chevron, who will take every step necessary not to be held accountable to the Ecuadorian people for their horrendous and negligent environmental impact.
In conclusion, tell President Rafael Correa to eat dirt:
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