The Ecuadorian government announced in September 2010 its plans to expand the oil frontier towards the southeast of the country. Days ago, this intention advanced with the official announcement that on October 31st another call for bids will be launched, this time for the southeastern blocks. The offers must be submitted by April 1st of next year to sign the respective contracts in October 2012, according to a statement from the Ministry of Non-Renewable Energy. Of the blocks that will be offered in the new process, four will go to the state-owned Petroamazonas and Petroecuador, seven will be assigned to national oil companies from "friendly" countries, and 10 will be given to private firms, the ministry added.
Declaration of the Fourth Meeting of Achuar, Shuar and Kichwa nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon Region in Resistance for the defense of Life.
- The Achuar, Shuar and Kichwa nationalities of the province of Pastaza and Morona Santiago declare a state of emergency in their territories due to the unconsulted invasion of the tenth round of oil, mining, environmental services and bio-prospecting, which seriously threatens their living spaces and their rights recognized and enshrined in the political constitution of the State, international conventions and treaties that protect and safeguard the rights of indigenous nationalities.
- They are committed to carrying out a peaceful and sovereign struggle to the very end, determined to even give their lives to defend Mother Earth, which is the only space for life.
- They call upon all brothers of other nationalities and peoples that this is the time to demonstrate true unity in defense of the territories and thus build the true Sumak Kawsay- Penker Pujustin (Good Living).
- They call on other brother peoples and nationalities from other continents and the international community to bear witness to all the violations of the rights of nationalities that the government of Ecuador has implemented to defend the interests of transnational extractive companies.
- We reject all illegal persons who pose as professionals and legal representatives of peoples and nationalities, offering professional community relations services, who will be severely sanctioned and punished according to the ancestral law of each nationality.
Meanwhile, CONAIE, the largest and most important indigenous organization in the country, has announced a march to Quito to demand that prior consultation be applied, which, although stipulated in the 1998 Constitution and ratified in the 2008 Constitution, is not applied, according to the State Attorney General, because there is no sub-constitutional norm.
The date of the mobilization has not yet been set and "they will take as much time as necessary to organize" the communities, Cholango, president of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie), told the newspaper Expreso.
"We must repeat, paraphrasing the president (Rafael Correa): nothing by imposition, nothing by force with the indigenous peoples because if not the conflict will be long-lasting and very painful for Ecuadorians. Conflicts must be resolved through intelligent mechanisms," said Cholango.
The president faces opposition from CONAIE, a former ally that in March filed a criminal complaint against him for genocide, alleging that he has encouraged oil exploitation on its lands.
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