An Amazon tribe has won a massive case against Big Oil, preserving enormous swaths of valuable rainforest in the process.
The Ecuadorian government’s plans to drill for oil across seven million acres of south central Ecuador’s Amazon have been blocked, thanks to a historic judgement won by the Waorani people of Pastaza.
The Waorani tribe have successfully prevented drilling on half a million acres of their Amazon rainforest land. They’ve also managed to sabotage the planned auction of 16 oil blocks covering over seven million acres of rainforest.
The government’s 2012 consultation process with the Waorani has been declared null and void, effectively halting the auction of their territory to big oil.
Mitch Anderson, Executive Director of Amazon Frontlines, stated:
This sets a significant precedent for indigenous rights throughout the Amazon. Today, the court found a pattern of deception, bad faith, and manipulative techniques in the Ecuadorian government’s attempt to allocate the lands of the Waorani people for oil exploitation.
This is a big step forward in the fight to ensuring indigenous peoples’ land rights are honored. The right of indigenous peoples to chose their own future and to say “No” to destructive extractive projects is critical to conserving the Amazon rainforest and slowing climate change.
This decision by the Pastaza Provincial Court’s three-judge panel establishes a critical legal precedent for indigenous rights as well as rainforest protection.
Oswando Nenquimo, the Waorani of Pastaza’s spokesperson, issued the following statement:
Today, we have safeguarded our forest from oil drilling, our water from contamination, and our children from illness. This is a case in point for indigenous rights.
However, the battle is far from done. Because they still want the oil beneath our land, the government will file an appeal. Indigenous peoples from all over the Amazon and the world must work together to protect our homes.
Speaking with The New Yorker, Waorani leader Nemonte Nenquimo said:
The court recognized that the government violated our right to live free, and make our own decisions about our territory and self determination,
Our territory is our decision, and now, since we are owners, we are not going to let oil enter and destroy our natural surroundings and kill our culture.
How wonderful it is to hear some positive news for once about the fate of the Amazon rainforest.
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