Issued by: Inter-Provincial Federation of the Shuar People of Ecuador, FICSH
Independent Federation of the Shuar People of Ecuador, FIPSE
Nacional Achuar Federation of Ecuador, NAE
Organization of the Original Kichwa People from Sarayaku,
TAYJA SARUTA-SARAYAKU, RUKULLACTA Cooperative
Puyo, Ecuador
The people and nationalities of the Central-Southern region of the Ecuadorian Amazon would like to address our brothers and sisters of the world regarding the recent purchase of the North American oil company Burlington by the oil company ConocoPhillips. Burlington had activities in the “so-called” oil blocks 23 and 24 which were conceded by the Ecuadorian Government although they coincide with the territories of the indigenous nationalities Shuar, Achuar and Kichwa. The development of these oil projects would result in grave problems for the future of our people who live in these territories.
The oil companies have already provoked problems which destabilized the internal unity of the indigenous nationalities. They have created division among our organizations, caused the militarization of our territories, the persecution of our leaders, and their pressence led to a series of violations of our human rights.
Additionally, we would like the world to know that we are conscious of the close relationship of our people with the earth because it is our mother which contains the resources we need for our survival and for the future generations to come. Therefore, every resource extraction activity affects the lives of everyone living in these territories. The presence of Burlington in blocks 23 and 24, together with the strategies of the Ecuadorian government, have caused injustices which violate our basic human rights. These rights are proclaimed in the United Nations International Declaration of Human Rights. They are also proclaimed in international agreements, such as the ILO (International Labor Organization) Convention 169, and Article 84 of the Ecuadorian Constitution.
Given the threat of death and destruction which is what oil activities in our territories means for us, as well as the foreseeable loss of the cosmovision of the indigenous people living in the Central-Southern Ecuadorian Amazon region, we emphasize our strong position in defense of our territories. Our territories are our living space, the only space where we can live as human beings in a healthy environment free of contamination.
Considering everything we have mentioned, we demand the nullification of the concessions made in our territories and the definitive withdrawal of the oil companies from our territories.
The earth is our mother. You do not sell nor buy your mother.
