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[by [Camila Rolando on CDCA.IT] Recap on the Texaco/Chevron disaster in Ecuadorian Amazon
The Texaco company started oil drilling activities in Ecuadorian Amazon in 1964 and continued up to 1994. Thrilled by the promises of dollars, Ecuadorian State’s representatives and decision-makers welcomed Texaco to the country. The arrangements between the national State and the transnational company were with no consultation or concern for the local populations whose environment, health and lifestyles got affected by these new activities.
During the 30 years of presence in Ecuador, Texaco succeeded in extracting over 1.5 billion barrels. Its activities enjoyed the total absence of environmental regulations and provoked widespread contamination estimated up to 16.8 million gallons of crude oil discharged into the environment, along with toxic substances and heavy metals contaminating the land and the water. The overall deforestation provoked by Texaco presence in the Ecuadorian Amazon goes up to 2 million hectares.
The attempts to make Chevron acknowledge its responsibilities
Besides its fructuous dirty business, the company has been all the more successful in postponing the judicial condemnations it was sentenced to.
In 1993, Texaco was suited before New York federal court by 30.000 Ecuadorian citizens. The case became known under the name Aquinda vs. Texaco. While the court pronounced a dismissal of the case it also announced that Texaco is committed to accept Ecuador’s jurisdiction. This means that any judicial decision taken in Ecuador would be enforce in the United States.
In 2003, Chevron (which bought Texaco in the meantime) is brought to the Ecuadorian Provincial Court of Sucumbios in Nueva Loja by victims from Lago Agraio who gathered under the Amazon Defence Coalition. In February 2011 the Court announced in favor of the claimants, ordering Chevron to pay 8.6 billion dollars in reparation. Ever since, Chevron constant efforts try to counteract this original announcement. A month later Chevron appealed but the Provincial Court confirmed the previous decision in January 2012.
Trying to block the enforcement of the judgment, Chevron started two procedures. In 2009 the multinational required from the Hague to open an international arbitration. A year later it also filed a civil complaint before the US District Court, Southern District New York. The two attempts failed and both judicial decisions upheld the Ecuadorian Court decision.
The latest chapter written by the Canadian Ontario Tribunal
In May 2012, a lawsuit was filed by the complainants in Superior court of Justice in Ontario (Canada) targeting Chevron’s assets in the country in order to compel the company to pay the sentenced sum by the Ecuadorian court. In the beginning of September 2015, the Canadian court ratified Chevron as guilty and it will ensure the collect of the money.
Learn more about the most recent news on RadioMundoReal, on the following link:
http://www.radiomundoreal.fm/8552-canadian-tribunal-ratified-chevron?lang=es
Bibliography;
Kimerling J., 2013. Oil, Contact, and Conservation in the Amazon: Indigenous Huaorani, Chevron, and Yasuni. Colorado J. of International Environmental Law and Policy. 43, 43-115
The Texaco-Chevron case in Ecuador, EJOLT factsheet 042, 02/08/2015. http://www.ejolt.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/FS-42.pdf [14/09/02015]
Webography:
Barsocchini R., 14/03/2015. International Court, Hague, Rules in Favor of Ecuador in its Case against U.S. Oil Giant, Chevron. Washington Blogpost. http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2015/03/international-court-hague-rules-favor-ecuador-case-u-s-oil-giant-chevron.html [11/09/2015]
The Hague rules against Chevron in Ecuador case, 13/03/2015. Telesur. . http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/The-Hague-Rules-against-Chevron-in-Ecuador-Case-20150313-0009.html [11/09/2015]
Klasfeld A., 12/03/2015. Ecuador Lands a Victory in Chevron’s Hague Challenge. Courtshouse News Service, http://www.courthousenews.com/2015/03/12/ecuador-lands-a-victory-in-chevrons-hague-challenge.htm. [11/09/2015]
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