Chevron - Ecuador: Court Ruins Chance To Help Ecuador's Poor

[csunshine66]

GRACIAS POR SU EXPLICACION, MUY INTERESANTE. LO MEJOR SERIA QUE UNA ORGANIZACION INDEPENDIENTE ESTUDIE ESTE CASO EN LA AMAZONIA Y PUEDA DAR UN ANALIZIS OBJETIVO E INDEPENDIENTE, EN DONDE NO HAYA LUGAR PARA LA CORRUPCION COMO LA DEL ABOGADO STEVEN DONZIGER, O DE OTRAS INSTITUCIONES BUSQUEN LUCRAR PARA ELLOS MISMOS, SINO QUE TODA LA AYUDA SI LA HAY :( ALGUN DIA VAYA A PARAR EN MANOS DE NUESTRA GENTE ECUATORIANA ASI COMO A REPARAR TODO EL DANO CAUSADO,

[fairandaccurate1]

And yes, there have been spills since Chevron (Texaco) left. But the area was a disaster in 1992 when the company left. New spills don't liberate Chevron from responsibility for their damages. Is Petroecuador environmentally responsible company? No. But they are better than Texaco ever was. Is Correa an ego-maniac who wants to open up the rest of Ecuador's Amazon to drilling? Yes. But again, doesn't absolve Texaco. You've bought Chevron's smoke and mirrors defense. Don't be their pawn.

[fairandaccurate1]

Zennie you should really stop talking about Ecuador because it's so clear you know nothing about the country or its people. You talked to locals? Really? Who? Did you go to Ecuador? All you can seem to do is re-print Chevron talking points. It's too bad that you manage to get this issue so wrong. There is indeed a really important grassroots effort for justice underway. And yes, they have lawyers who will get paid if they win. It's how every lawsuit everywhere works.

[fairandaccurate1]

Zennie you should really stop talking about Ecuador because it's so clear you know nothing about the country or its people. You talked to locals? Really? Who? Did you go to Ecuador? All you can seem to do is re-print Chevron talking points. It's too bad that you manage to get this issue so wrong. There is indeed a really important grassroots effort for justice underway. And yes, they have lawyers who will get paid if they win. It's how every lawsuit everywhere works.

[DjRufoo2222]

shut up zennie62 stay in united states and celebrate usa won the war in irak, killing people for oil,

[javy926]

So, you saying that Texaco (chevron) paid 40 million dollars that would be it??

The law sue is for all the spills, and ways to extract oil they were neglecting the people of Ecuador and they have to pay.

there were more spills after that, maybe but that has nothing to do with the actual case, you said that Ecuador has 0 interest in protect the Amazon thats your opinion, the problem is that the Ecuadorians now have a government that actually put Its people first..... then companies.

[tommarquez1980]

Why don´t you guys make a visit to Ecuador? Here you can see by yourselves how contaminated are the places where Texaco used to operate.

When the Big Oil screwed the people in USA, and you sued them for that, you call it justice. When they make the same in Ecuador and we sued them, you say it´s 3rd world country who are looking for easy money. Why so much prejudice on this?

[osofieroso]

lol please dont look or listen this guy is a lier and is well pay to do this work

[sTevefor3]

Amen, osofieroso. This guy is such a shill. How much do you think Chevron is paying this fool? Geez, dude, get a life, will ya? Chevron has been playing dirty on this from day one; their day in court has come just where they wanted it: in the Ecuadorean Court system! In fact, if you do any research on this lawsuit, Chevron wanted U.S. Courts to throw the case out and put it in Ecuador.

[osofieroso]

@sTevefor3 lol dude, get a life, will ya lol not like yours Viva Rafael Correa

[sTevefor3]

Have you seen "Crude"? Good film. Helps to put into perspective the disregard Chevron has for the indigenous people of the Amazon. I'm ashamed that an American corporation can be so two-faced; on one face they advertise in America that Chevron is environmentally sensitive; on the other face, they use every dirty trick in the book to squirm out from responsibility. I say just pay up, Chevron. It's cheaper in the long run!

[osofieroso]

please visit ====Crude - Amazon Chernobyl Case (Clip)

[willymarjo]

Chevron bought your conscience too, came on !!!!!!  How much Chevron pay you?

[ioroman]

"And you know it". Since when do you know what people who disagree with you know? Perhaps this lawsuit will teach companies that conducting business overseas in an unethical way does not pay. How would you respond if you had been affected? And, if you were to sue a foreign company, should the astronomical US national debt be considered as the reason behind? You are full of innuendo and more.

[javy926]

Zenniie at least they are trying to clean it up Texaco just leave spills left and right.

with the coplicity of corrupt goverments; well not anymore the new kind of socialsm is here to stay, southamerica will have real contracts with clauses and protections on behalf of the people of this countries

[fairandaccurate1]

Intra-national class warfare? How exactly?

[fairandaccurate1]

And what I find disturbing is that, although you say you're concerned about Ecuador's "poorest people," you discount the efforts of thousands of campesinos and indigenous people who have worked tirelessly towards some form of justice. Clean water. A clean up. Some funds for health care. Chevron can be an industry leader and take responsibility for their share. Pls, come to Ecuador. See for yourself. Talk to local people. Don't just repeat and believe Chevron's story.

[fairandaccurate1]

Petroecuador should play a part. Not protecting them. But a clean-up never happened man. Chevron says this over and over, and talks about it on their website. But when you visit the area, the pits are there. Dig a few inches into the dirt and its crude. Look at the water people are drinking and its got that rainbow sheen on it. The lawsuit was filed in 1993, months after Texaco left. The area was, and is, an environmental disaster zone. Chevron bears the majority of this responsibility.

[fairandaccurate1]

Really, how much does Chevron pay you for these? Why do you repeat, unchallenged, all of Chevron's talking points without ever including any perspective of the people affected? What do you think happened to the $40 million Texaco paid for a clean-up? They contracted a shame company, and left hundreds of open oil waste pits. I've seen them. I've visited homes of residents who live on top of them. Petroecuador shares in the blame, but it doesn't liberate Chevron from its responsibility.

[javy926]

Do you think that 40 million cover all the damage made by Texaco since the 60' to 1989

it's not only spills there are allegations that Texaco pour oil waste not in tanks but in holes they made without any containtment proteccions and they left hundreds of them around the jungle goverments (friendly to US) let companies like Texaco do whatever they want for money. our SOB"s. that's why Latin America is going left 8 countries by overwhelming mojorities of votes. US companies even use violence

[ioroman]

I think we can agree to some points. No one claims that all spills are the responsibility of Texaco, actually they are not to difficult to verify as some of the areas affected have not been used for oil extraction since Texaco was there; that is the area on dispute. What I do not agree is that the Ecuadorian governments has done "nothing" to clean up and that this law suit is brought up by the government; not so. What is true is that Rafael Correa is the first president to show moral support.

[ioroman]

I will not argue that Ecuador has had a chain of corrupt governments. The explosion in the Esmeraldas refinery could well be a cover ip as you report. My point is that any spill in the province of Esmeraldas has nothing to do with the law suit about the spills in the Amazon. The Andes are between Esmeraldas and the Amazonas.

[ioroman]

Sorry is contradict is to be nasty. The main lawyer for the indian group that brought up the law suit and a native from the region, Pablo Fajardo was recently a recepient of the CNN Heroes award. CNN report said: "FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE Pablo Fajardo of Lago Agrio, Ecuador, who seeks to force one of the worlds largest oil corporations to pay more than $6 billion to clean up toxic waste in the Amazon rain forest". This has nothing to do with Esmeraldas. Different provinces and far away.

[ioroman]

zennie62, keep deleting my comments if you want. Your comment has many errors. 1. The law suit has not been brought up by the Ecuadorian government but rather by indigenous groups affected. 2. The Ecuadorian governments (federal and provincial) have worked over the years on cleaning part of the spills on the Amazon region. 3. The explosion at the Esmeraldas refinery has nothing to do with the law suit as it is located on the Pacific coast (hundred of miles away from the Amazon) continued ..

[ioroman]

4. The dispute is about spills during Texaco stay in Ecuador 5. This is not about helping the "poor people" of Ecuador, but rather about reparation of damages caused by Texaco. 6. The 40 million you refer to includes the millions they have spent in legal fees on high-paid lawyers to fight the law suit. Take it from an Ecuadorian who visit his homeland every so often. Have you been there? Delete it again if you want.

[joedt1977]

Even if he was born in Kenya it would not matter at all.

1. McCain was not born in the US (in Panama)

2. Obama has a US born mother, so he is American

[ioroman]

joedt1977, I am not sure what your point is. Senator Obama was born in the USA, he is not an American because he "has an US born mother (did you mean white?)", he is an American because he wan born in the USA.

[joedt1977]

I was just stating worst case.

I live in Hawaii and we love him here. I was stating that even if he was born in Kenya, 1 perent is all you need to be a US citizen.

[FroLogic]

Did you ever at one point in your career consider being a professor, Zennie?

I feel I could learn a lot from you.

[ewigkase1]

zennie62 they are just gullible conspiracy theorists who believe in anything that reflects and strengthens there views and there "truth's." just like some people believe Elvis is still alive or Tupac or the Kennedy assassination etc. They will believe everything but the facts.

[piscesgutt]

I will believe Obama is born in US when I see his birth certificate

[ggullet]

not to get off point but, the kennedy assasination not a conspiracy. are you serious? I have a couple of great properties for sale on the east side of detroit if you're interested.

[ewigkase1]

people do have conspiracy theory's about Kennedy assassination. some believe it was the driver who killed him or other things or the reasons why he was assassinated. people see conspiracy every where but you are apparently to dumb to realize that. just like these 9-11 conspiracy theorists the list goes on Aliens new world order etc.

[ggullet]

so what does a genius like you call the tuskegee experiments, or the US millitary selling crack in south central? some conspiracys are bogus and some are real, anyone who dismisses all conspiracy allegations out of hand because they have that much blind faith in the people who run the government are either idiots or fools but definetly not good americans.

[jimisback]

Well.................Nothing. I would like to read an answer to that too. And even...What the hell does Kenya have to do with it? Maybe they think they are close on the globe?

[piscesgutt]

Did you know that Obama was born in Kenya?

[ggullet]

Did you know that you're an idiot?

[spikesmth]

This is the first I've heard any details about this debacle. I'm surprised to find myself on the side of big business on this one! Based on your description I'd say the 3rd world government fucked up and is trying to cover its ass to its own people. If we didn't need so much oil this never woulda happened!

[tommarquez1980]

Why don't you read a little more on this. There is no goverment involved on this, there are like a thousand citizens suing Chevron.

The safety standards Chevron used in USA by the time, were not the same standards used in Ecuador. Here they didn´t give a dime about throwing formation water to the rivers for more 25 years. I suppose if this has happened in USA, nobody will sue them, or maybe you will?