yasuni national park
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Ecuador faces challenge in ending oil extraction in national park
Ecuador's struggle to honor a referendum demanding an end to oil drilling in Yasuní national park highlights deep economic divisions.
In short:
- The Indigenous Quichua community in Yasuní celebrates the referendum result but faces internal conflict over the economic impact.
- President Noboa has proposed a moratorium on the referendum result, citing severe economic repercussions.
- Oil remains crucial to Ecuador's economy, accounting for nearly one-third of the GDP, and its cessation could exacerbate the fiscal crisis.
Key quote:
“The government has forgotten about these people. And it is the oil and service companies that take on this responsibility.”
— Ramiro Páez Rivera, executive with Petrolia Ecuador
Why this matters:
Yasuní National Park is home to countless species and indigenous communities who have lived there for centuries. Ending oil drilling in the park is a significant step toward protecting these invaluable natural and cultural resources.
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Ecuadorians reject oil drilling in the Amazon, ending operations in protected area
The Associated Press reports that Ecuadorians voted against drilling for oil in a protected area of the Amazon, an important decision that will require the state oil company to end its operations in a region that’s home to two uncontacted tribes and is a hotspot of biodiversity.
In a nutshell:
Home to the Tagaeri and Taromenani tribes, Yasuni National Park was designated a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1989, spanning over 1 million hectares and boasting an impressive variety of wildlife. Despite President Guillermo Lasso's endorsement of oil exploration, over 60% of Ecuadorians have rejected drilling in Block 43 within Yasuni, posing a challenge to his administration. This outcome forces Petroecuador to dismantle its operations in the near future. The referendum coincided with the presidential election amid the backdrop of political unrest following the assassination of anti-corruption candidate Fernando Villavicencio and growing instability in Ecuador linked to organized crime and drug trafficking.
Key quote:
“Ecuadorians have come together for this cause to provide a life opportunity for our Indigenous brothers and sisters and also to show the entire world, amidst these challenging times of climate change, that we stand in support of the rainforest,” Nemo Guiquita, a leader of the Waorani tribe, told the AP -- noting, however, that many other areas outside of Block 43 remain unprotected.
The big picture:
As Inside Climate News reported recently, a growing movement of civil society groups and Indigenous activists is applying pressure to phase out fossil fuel extraction in the Amazon, which has led to hundreds of spills and proven devastating to environmental and human health. When leaders of the eight Amazon nations met in Brazil earlier this month for a summit on deforestation, campaigners made their presence known, demanding that Indigenous rights to be respected and an end to drilling.
Exposure to pollutants and chemicals associated with oil extraction -- including arsenic, mercury and cadmium -- can lead to respiratory issues, skin disorders and other health complications among isolated communities such as the Tagaeri and Taromenani tribes. Furthermore, the disruption of their traditional way of life, access to clean water sources, and medicinal plants jeopardizes overall physical and mental health as Indigenous people grapple with the enduring impacts of industrial encroachment on their territories.
Review the full article from the Associated Press.
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Top Story
Ecuador votes on potential oil drilling in Amazon
Voters decide on Sunday whether the country will ban oil operations in a section of the Amazon that’s one of the most biodiverse places on Earth.
Newsletter
Ecuador moves to expand drilling in the Amazon
A novel idea to leave the country’s vast oil reserves in the ground fizzled for lack of international support. Now, struggling under painful debt, the government wants to expand drilling in the rainforest.
www.ozy.com
Can Ecuador’s Indigenous communities survive an oil rush?
Oil could have helped secure the future of Ecuador’s indigenous communities. Instead, it’s threatening them.
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Heart of Ecuador’s Yasuni, home to uncontacted tribes, opens for oil drilling
Ecuador's environment ministry has approved the environmental assessment plans to drill for oil in Ishpingo, the last field of a controversial project in Yasuni National Park.
Hey Amazon, what are you doing to protect the Amazon?
The environmental group Amazon Watch is asking Amazon.com to lend a hand at curbing destruction of the South American rain forests that are the company's namesake.
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