Tuesday

Human Rights Victory in the Ecuadorian Amazon

On the heels of their victory before the Inter-American Human Rights Court of the Organization of American States (OAS), the Kichwa of Sarayaku held a major celebration over the weekend on their rainforest lands. Sarayaku brought the case in 2003 against the government of Ecuador for rights violations related to oil drilling on their lands. The binding court decision found that the state violated Sarayaku's right to consultation when it signed an agreement with Argentine company CGC, and that the Ecuadorian military was guilty of rights abuses against the community.

On Sunday August 12, hundreds of members of Sarayaku that live dispersed throughout the community's 300,000+ acre territory, national indigenous leaders, neighboring indigenous nationalities, and ally NGO organizations descended on Sarayaku to hear analysis of the court decision and celebrate its implications.

Several hours of meeting to digest the verdict gave way to an afternoon of revelry with drumming, singing, and dancing, fueled by fermented chicha, traditional libation of choice. The eight year long legal battle sets the stage for a new conflict on the horizon. A new government oil auction of 18 oil concessions – known as the XI Round – is set to open in October 2012, and would cover close to 10 million acres of primary forest and indigenous land, including all of Sarayaku territory.

The Kichwa of Sarayaku History:

Residing in the central Ecuadorian Amazon, the Sarayaku community of about 1,200 indigenous Kichwa people has had one of the most successful histories of defending their territory from resource extraction.

Like most of the Amazon, their land has been divvied up into oil concession blocks. Block 23 overlays their territory, and was granted to Argentine company CGC in 1996. CGC has remained the operator of the block with a 50% share, while its business partners in the block have come and gone due to the concession's on-going controversy. Sarayaku has been adamant in its opposition to oil extraction, but government pressure and aggressive company incursions led to multiple confrontations, with community members being victims of rights abuses.
SOURCE

Photo: Kevin Koenig / Amazon Watch

Photo: Kevin Koenig / Amazon Watch

Photo: Kevin Koenig / Amazon Watch

Members of Sarayaku listen to leaders explain the IAHRC judgment Photo: Kevin Koenig / Amazon Watch

Photo: Kevin Koenig / Amazon Watch

Photo: Kevin Koenig / Amazon Watch

Photo: Kevin Koenig / Amazon Watch

Photo: Kevin Koenig / Amazon Watch

Sarayaku forest at dawn - Photo: Kevin Koenig / Amazon Watch

The video (in Spanish only) is a brief summary of the current situation

Responses to "Sarayaku Celebrates Human Rights Victory (Video-Photos)"

  1. Anonymous says:

    CONGRATULATIONS, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, ON YOUR VICTORY AGAINST THE IMPERIALIST AND GOVERNMENT ENTITIES TRYING TO ROB YOU OF YOUR HOMELAND AND YOUR RIGHTS! MAY YOU CONTINUE TO BE VICTORIOUS!

  2. SARAYAKU
    Su historia firme comenzó en el 89, con el
    acuerdo de sarayaku del 90
    Haciendo del 92 la gran marcha a
    Quito obteniendo el anhelado titulo
    Asi la firmeza del 13 de abril del 2002
    tu hijos (as) inmortalizadas, siguakucha, Kali kali,
    chunta yaku, sarayakillo, centro sarayaku, teresa mama
    Realizan la unidad equitativa, reciproca, humana
    ecológica de la vértebra de la selva , la sal
    de la tierra, y la sangre azul del agua
    Armonia como principal fuente de vida para tu territorio con
    Yaku, con allpa, para el riego de tu sacha
    fue tu lucha sin igual
    Aconteció y transcurrió días, meses años entre calles y oficinas
    Cruzasteis continentes para lograr justicias con muchos líderes
    Kichwa pueblo de espíritus que doman su sabiduría a la tierra
    al universo, pues lo llevas en tu alma, tu fortaleza de tus ancestros
    Unidos lograron lo que parecía imposible, poniendo en evidencias
    los intereses de felipillos, gobernantes, empresarios, como dijo
    la profecía de los TAYAK de sarayaku
    “seréis el ultimo pueblo en no sucumbir, por eso sois
    el pueblos del medio día, pueblo que tiene sueños para la vida”
    ese pueblo eres sarayaku, con alma inquebrantable del continente,
    por eso serás siempre el rio maíz, porque nunca desaparecerás
    ni como rio ni como maíz.
    Poema: Haroldo Salazar - Kenkibari

Write a comment

Stats

Archives

Pages