Mindo residents, university students and ecologists continue camping out in the Los Guarumos area at the entrance of the Mindo Nambillo Protected Forest. On January 2, a group of activists permanently installed themselves in the most fragile section of the forest to block the construction crews of the Heavy Crude Pipeline (OCP) from entering the protected area. The protestors are have climbed and chained themselves to trees and are building permanent tree houses. They intend to leave the area only when the construction company and the government decide to stop destroying this unique ecosystem, home to a diversity of animal and plant species, many in danger of extinction.
Construction of the Heavy Crude Pipeline is moving ahead rapidly, ignoring opposition from local residents and authorities and in complete violation of constitutional and legal principles governing the protection of the environment and respect for the rights of inhabitants of the areas through which it passes. This approach has sparked reactions from Mindo residents and from Lago Agrio inhabitants who are also preparing to block construction work on the OCP.
Contradicting the belief that the pipeline will benefit the country, the latest evidence is revealing the real nature of this project. Regarding labor issues, a strike by workers at the Amazonas pumping and processing station has exposed the terrible work conditions forced on employees of the company Techint. In the area of taxes, the evasion of all type of tariffs and taxes demonstrates that the construction of OCP is generating no revenues for this country.
Those of us who defend the natural inheritance of all Ecuadorians will not allow irreversible damage to be caused and will stop this devastating project.
