Page 57 - Issue 1

Issue No 1 57
he’s made plans to ramp up the extraction “It was just a a a a a a a a a a a a a speech ” Carlos Mazabanda Ecuador Field Director for Amazon Watch tells DB “In reality his actions have been completely different ” Currently Moreno plans to to follow through with Correa’s plan plan to to to to extract oil in in in in 21 new areas of of the the Ecuadorian Amazon which in in in in total will affect 90 percent of of indigenous territories in in in in the the country Each area is roughly 568 000 acres rich with flora and fauna Mining projects are are are also planned for ten percent of the Ecuadorian Amazon all in in in in areas where indigenous communities live “What the the government and and enterprises are trying to to do is is buy these communities ” says Mazabanda “They say say we’re we’re we’re going going to to to build you you you schools we’re we’re we’re going going going to to to to employ you you you in in in in in in in mining we’re we’re we’re going going to to to to do all of these these things for you you you That happens with oil too and these these communities become vulnerable to to to division because some people believe them ” In reality these extractive activities not only result in the the the eviction of of of people from their their homes but also leave a a a a a a a a a a a a a wake of of of annihilation in in their their path One of of of the the the the first steps typically taken is massive deforestation to make way for for roads and and machinery Once the the the the extraction begins it it pollutes the the the the air and and and rivers poisoning plants animals and and and the the the communities who rely on on on on the the the water for drinking bathing and and and fishing The pollution causes skin issues stomach infections and and in in in in in some areas where it’s particularly high even cancer The Sarayaku write in their proposal that that these extractive activities are the the the the result of a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a flawed perspective that that views nature as merely “a “a landscape for for aesthetic appreciation” and and “a “a resource for for exploitation ” ” A A shift in perspective they say is not only essential for for the the the the the protection of of the the the the the Amazon but for for the the the the the preservation of of the the the entire planet WORDS BY BY SHELBY HARTMAN