U’wa tribal magic repels oil giant
mango | 12.08.2001 11:53
Better late than never - This is tremendous news and a huge slap in the face for OXY but let's not forget that people, including some very young children, lost their lives passively defending their land against these wretched oily predators...
The news long awaited by the Colombia's U'wa tribe and their thousands of supporters around the world has finally arrived: the Los Angeles-based Occidental Petroleum (OXY) announced Friday that it has failed to find oil at the Gibraltar 1 well site on the tribe's ancestral land in Northeastern Colombia. The company has begun removing equipment from the site, a positive turn of events for the valorous non-violent resistance campaign waged by the U'wa, an indigenous community of 8,000 who live high in the Andean cloud forests.
The announcement by OXY comes as thousands of U'wa are taking part in a traditional three month spiritual retreat for fasting, meditation,teaching, singing, and prayer. The U'wa Werjayas (spiritual leaders)and Karekas (medicine people) have been praying for months and using traditional rituals to "hide the oil" from OXY's drill.
While the U'wa called this development a "cultural triumph," the tribe pointed out that their ancestral land is still threatened by oil exploration by the Spanish company Repsol, who is just beginning exploratory drilling in the Capachos 1 block. "This is a battle that we have won, but the war continues, because the U'wa territory is not only Gibraltar 1," said Roberto Perez, President of the U'wa Traditional
Authority in a communiqui released today.
Using tactics ranging from blockades at the drill site, lawsuits,shareholder resolutions, letter writing campaigns, banner hangs, and non-violent civil disobedience, the U'wa along with environmental and human rights activists have confronted Occidental and its major shareholders including Fidelity Investments, former Vice-President Al Gore and Alliance Capital/Sanford Bernstein.
"This is an important victory and a real milestone in the larger struggle to win recognition and respect for indigenous peoples rights around the world. Unfortunately, until we address our societies addiction to fossil fuels by transitioning to renewable energy sources, the world's remaining pristine ecosystems and traditional cultures will
continue to be threatened by unscrupulous oil corporations," said Kevin Koenig, campaigner for Amazon Watch.
This is yet another blow to Oxy's operations in Colombia which have suffered significant losses this year. The company's Cano Limon field and pipeline have been paralyzed since February 17 as a result of more than 110 guerrilla bombings on the company's pipeline so far this year.
In addition, OXY's private security contractor, AirScan, was recently implicated in one of Colombian Military's worst civilian massacres putting OXY in the center of yet another controversy. AirScan guided Colombian military's attack on the Santo Domingo village that killed 12 civilians including 9 children.
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"It's particularly difficult dealing with indigenous peoples," says Ged Davis, Vice President of Shell's Global Business Environment Group,"because they have such a deep reverence for their natural environment that is at odds with those who want access to that environment."
The announcement by OXY comes as thousands of U'wa are taking part in a traditional three month spiritual retreat for fasting, meditation,teaching, singing, and prayer. The U'wa Werjayas (spiritual leaders)and Karekas (medicine people) have been praying for months and using traditional rituals to "hide the oil" from OXY's drill.
While the U'wa called this development a "cultural triumph," the tribe pointed out that their ancestral land is still threatened by oil exploration by the Spanish company Repsol, who is just beginning exploratory drilling in the Capachos 1 block. "This is a battle that we have won, but the war continues, because the U'wa territory is not only Gibraltar 1," said Roberto Perez, President of the U'wa Traditional
Authority in a communiqui released today.
Using tactics ranging from blockades at the drill site, lawsuits,shareholder resolutions, letter writing campaigns, banner hangs, and non-violent civil disobedience, the U'wa along with environmental and human rights activists have confronted Occidental and its major shareholders including Fidelity Investments, former Vice-President Al Gore and Alliance Capital/Sanford Bernstein.
"This is an important victory and a real milestone in the larger struggle to win recognition and respect for indigenous peoples rights around the world. Unfortunately, until we address our societies addiction to fossil fuels by transitioning to renewable energy sources, the world's remaining pristine ecosystems and traditional cultures will
continue to be threatened by unscrupulous oil corporations," said Kevin Koenig, campaigner for Amazon Watch.
This is yet another blow to Oxy's operations in Colombia which have suffered significant losses this year. The company's Cano Limon field and pipeline have been paralyzed since February 17 as a result of more than 110 guerrilla bombings on the company's pipeline so far this year.
In addition, OXY's private security contractor, AirScan, was recently implicated in one of Colombian Military's worst civilian massacres putting OXY in the center of yet another controversy. AirScan guided Colombian military's attack on the Santo Domingo village that killed 12 civilians including 9 children.
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"It's particularly difficult dealing with indigenous peoples," says Ged Davis, Vice President of Shell's Global Business Environment Group,"because they have such a deep reverence for their natural environment that is at odds with those who want access to that environment."
mango
Homepage:
http://www.environment.org.uk/activist/