Communities affected by pollution from refineries held a meeting in Manta.

Representatives of the communities of La Carioca (La Libertad), Chulluype and Ballenita participated along with more than 100 representatives of other communities affected by environmental pollution caused by the refineries of La Libertad and Esmeraldas and of the communities that will be affected by the proposed construction of the Pacific Refinery, in the area of the Pacoche forest, very close to the city of Manta.


We are grateful for the invitation extended by the Culture and Environment collective to this event that took place last Friday at the Eloy Alfaro University in the city of Manta. The objective of this event was to gather and inform about the problems that are common to the populations that live closest to the refineries on the Ecuadorian coast, who shared their experiences with representatives from Bajos de la Palma, Bajos de Afuera, and Río Bravo (which would be affected by the construction of the new refinery).


Performance, marimba music, folk dances, poetry among other artistic expressions were presented in intervals with exhibitions on the theme of  Pacific Refinery, the impacts on health (presentations were given by specialists in the subjects) and direct testimonies of those affected. The video was also presented Sovereignty or refinery


According to activist Aurora Donoso, some preliminary work is already being carried out, such as the opening of roads, even though the final environmental impact studies have not yet been approved.