A day after a demonstrator was killed, Ecuador’s government agreed last Thursday to allow lawmakers to mediate an end to protests that have halted the construction of a new $1.1 billion pipeline (OD Feb.28,p6).
Demonstrators in the poor jungle provinces of Sucumbios and Orellana have seized oil wells and blocked highways, demanding that the builder of the new pipeline, OCP Ecuador, grant more development funds for the area. The company, however, says it reached an accord with authorities on such funding last year.
On Wednesday, a demonstrator was shot dead as a crowd set fire to an electric company in Orellana, one of the two provinces where army control and a nighttime curfew have been imposed, regional commander Gen. Jorge Mino said.
On Thursday, the government and Amazon protest leaders allowed four legislators to mediate the conflict, which has halted the construction of the OCP line.
Protests in the oil-rich provinces have triggered losses of about 175,650 bbl of crude to date, valued at $2.6 million by state oil company Petroecuador.
