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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Ecuador Pres Vows "Trench by Trench" Fight with Ecologists |
Current rating: 0 |
by Acción Ecológica
Email: amazonia (nospam) accionecologica.org (unverified!) |
23 May 2001
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Ecuador's President, stung by popular criticism of the proposed Heavy Crude Pipeline, is lashing out at NGOs. With the targetting turning personal, their safety is feared. |
THE ECUADOREAN PRESIDENT WILL FIGHT "TRENCH BY TRENCH" ... AGAINST ECOLOGISTS
The new heavy crude pipeline in Ecuador, will cross the country from east to west, carrying oil from the Yasuní National Park in Amazonia and affecting indigenous peoples and ecosystems throughout the country.
The government's reaction --which is usually very slow to react to the Ecuadorian peoples' demands-- has been extremely swift to protect this project against its opponents. President Gustavo Noboa himself, publicly threatened Accion Ecologica (Friends of the Earth-Ecuador) during a press conference held on May 17 in the city of Guayaquil. He accused this organization of being hypocritical and said: "In the past we knew who they were; we knew they were the radical left; now they call themselves greens, ecologists..."
He shouted that we would declare war on the ecologists, that he would fight them "trench by trench" and that he would not allow "four clowns to fuck the country", in reference to the organizations and local communities opposing the pipeline.
Given the great importance that the government is giving to the implementation of this project, Acción Ecológica fears that their lives might be endangered and particularly that of Yvonne Ramos, whom the President specifically mentioned.
Acción Ecológica is one of the organizations that lodged an appeal demanding the suspension of the contract between the government and the OCP consortium, integrated by AGIP (Italy), Alberta Energy (Canada), Kerr Mc Gee and Occidental (USA), Repsol/YPF (Spain), Perez Companc and Techint (Argentina). The appeal was also signed by the main organizations and social movements of Ecuador, including CEDHU, APDH, CONAIE, FENOCIN, Seguro Social Campesino, among others.
Acción Ecológica is requesting everyone concerned about this to send letters to President Noboa, asking him to respect the opinion and work of those who protect nature and life in the country, making him responsible for any attack on the physical security of Acción Ecológica's members. They add that "More than ever we need to join forces and achieve international support to show that there are hundreds of organizations throughout the world that support ecologists in Ecuador and who oppose the OCP pipeline due to the social and environmental impacts it will entail".
Please send letters to:
Señor Doctor Gustavo Noboa, Presidente
República del Ecuador
Quito - Ecuador
Fax No. (593 2) 580 735
Please copy to:
Acción Ecológica
Fax: 593 2 547516, Quito - Ecuador
E-mail: amazonia (at) accionecologica.org
SECRETARIA DE OILWATCH
Casilla 17-15-246-C Quito - Ecuador
Tel-Fax: (593 2) 547516 / 527583
Tel: 593 9 82 56 37
E-mail: oilwatch (at) uio.satnet.net
Pagina Web: www.oilwatch.org.ec |
See also:
http://www.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=42613&group=webcast
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