Senator Obama Watch Steve Donziger, Re: Chevron Ecuador

[scottrolen27mvp]

Alright lets say Petroecuador is 99% at fault (100% unlikely) and Chevron is 1% at fault (definitely more than that). Does Chevron owe the Ecuadorean people of the nation nothing? Let's be practical right now... Texaco-Chevron did not clean 100% of the mess that they made during their tenure in Ecuador. Both Texaco-Chevron and Petroecuador are at fault.

[MrYeahdoggy]

At the end of the day we need to fix this mess, and its people like you who deny the people of Ecuador the justice they deserve by singling out one man who you say is corrupt with no evidence or fact.

It is a fact that Chevron has been involved with bribing through this whole court case, and you try to single out one man? They focus on the matter at hand - cleaning the mess up. You are shifting the viewpoint to him instead of cleaning up this mess.

How much did they pay you for this?

[javy926]

Steve was your boyfriend.

get over with it man...

he do not love you no more.

[adrianmh1919]

A ver, cual es el problema, yo simplemente estoy dando mi opinión sobre un tema. Si quieres discutir, usa ideas, si me insultas yo no tengo por qué explicarte mi posición o mis comentarios.

Si tienes algo bueno que decir, pues dilo, pero anda donde otro donde decir huevadas.

[manabita19]

I understand where you're coming from about the liability that PetroEcuador has in this lawsuit , but there is a lot that Chevron Texaco started and DFBSMB01 is right, it's the indigenous people and the settlers, not the state who started this lawsuit. PetroEcuador is very much taking advantage of the situation as they are not guilt free, but the practices and abuses these people have suffered must be addressed. 30 million for a half-assed remediation by Texaco has to have reprecussions

[adrianmh1919]

I wouldn't be surprised if the lawsuit is a mess.

And as an Ecuadorian it is impossible for me to defend PetroEcuador.

However the facts are that Chevron is responsible for A LOT.

And they're going to get away with it. As it always happens.

This video seems to support that and this is the reason why so many Ecuadorians got offended with the video.

[otay37]

this american thinks he knows ecuadorian political when he never visit ecuador. the true story is that oil companies not only in ecuador but around the world have destroy many ecological sites.

[otay37]

fuck this guy

[elviejoluchador1]

texaco did that damages at a time when PETROECUADOR

hadn't even exist.

[elviejoluchador1]

Watch the video TEXACO CONTAMINATION

in my channel, texaco must to pay for de damages to the planet earth our only home in the universe, texaco did that mess as long as 30 years.

[DFBSMB01]

Zennie, A couple of clarifications: Ecuador is not suing Chevron 30.000 indians are. Second, the law suit is based on oil spills that have never being used by Petroecuador. This is not about being an american and supporting barbarities under that flag, you should think about what happened to your race decades ago under the " American Name " is the same but in this case with ancestral communities.

[fairandaccurate1]

But you understand that that is the position of Chevron who has a lot to lose? And that the position of affected people and evidence says the opposite? I think it's important to not just get "facts" from Chevron. And the consortium ended in June 1992.

Again, the lawsuit was filed 1993. Before Petroecuador really began using any pits. There was a plethora of evidence at that time against Texaco for its more than two decades of reckless oil operations.

[fairandaccurate1]

Because between 1967 and 1991 Texaco was the sole operator. They designed and built an oil extraction system that led to massive pollution, carried out a shame clean up, and left behind hundreds of toxic waste pits. These were never operated by Petroecuador. Petroecuador contamination from 1993 to present is not part of the lawsuit. Affected communities filed this case the same year Petroecuador began operating, in 1993. It has gone on this long because Chevron has delayed it for 15 years.

[fairandaccurate1]

The monied class?? Who do you think are the Ecuadorian lawyers for Chevron here? They the elite of the elite of Ecuadorian society. How much do you think they get paid to sell out their own people? Again, Petroecuador has caused spills. Affected communities have brought claims against them. Those are DIFFERENT than what Texaco caused and the damage the Chevron is now responsible for. You're helping one of the richest companies in the world get away with an environmental catastrophe.

[fairandaccurate1]

Have investigated. There are at least 12 claims in an Amazonian court house against Petroecuador. No one is letting them off the hook. People are putting the blame squarely where it belongs. On Chevron. If Chevron had truly conducted a "clean up" we wouldn't be having this debate. If Chevron invested in clean drinking water and health funds, instead of spending millions delaying this lawsuit, paying corporate lawyers and PR people, Ecuadorians and Chevron shareholders would be much better off.

[fairandaccurate]

Why don't you respond with some facts? Or does it take too long to read the Chevron home page? Or are the Chevron PR people too slow to send you more talking points?

[fairandaccurate]

Wow, you've become such a champion of the Ecuadorian people! The point is that Texaco hurt U.S. interests in Ecuador by operating with no environmental standards, and caused local people to distrust any other U.S. company that came to drill for oil, no matter how good its EIA or community partnership programs were. Of course Petroecuador should improve its standards. But at least the company has almost completely installed re-injection technology--more than Texaco ever did.

[fairandaccurate]

Really? FYI, Ecuador is in South America, not Central America.

[fairandaccurate]

What spills were all Petroecuador? They were Texaco's, which is why the company attempted to carry out a "clean up."

I have investigated Petroecuador. They've got a bad environmental record. Communities and NGOs in Ecuador have sueded them, criticized them, written letters, filed petitions for injunctions. But it doesn't negate what Texaco did in the years it was the sole operator. If Chevron doesn't think it's responsible, they can turn around and sue Petroecuador.

[fairandaccurate]

And you claim Chevron conducted a clean up? They "cleaned up" less than 1% of the area where they operated. And, the when you look at video footage from the clean up, it's nothing more than people with bulldozes pushing dirt over pits of oil, or workers hand collecting piles of oily sticks and putting them into garbage bags or incinerators. That's a clean up? When you visit those sites now, and I have, many are leaking out the side and top, some seeping into ground water.

[videooak]

Wait.  You're picking on him but who's paying you? You're spamming his page, so something's up.

[fairandaccurate]

And on the contrary, it is in the interest of the U.S. that corporations operating abroad are held to account. It hurts our country and investment options when a few bad apples lower the bar on proper business practices and ethics.

Why do you think U.S. oil companies are so hated in Ecuador? Because Texaco set a precedent of egregious environmental and social harm. If Texaco had done better, U.S. companies like ARCO, Occidental Petroleum, and Conoco, among others, would have faired better.

[fairandaccurate]

The only people attempting to solely blame Petroecuador are apparently you, and Chevron. But if I was trying to get out of potentially $16 billion in damages I guess I'd be blaming anyone I could.

You talked to people? Who? You saw videos? Any that weren't Chevron's? Your obvious schilling for them is shameless. I hope for your sake they're paying you as least as much as their PR guys in San Ramon. If not, you should ask for a raise. They made about $600 a second last year.

[fairandaccurate]

Although Chevron likes to point out it held a "minority share" in a consortium with Petroecuador, who do you think was bossman? An oil giant with years of experience and annual revenues equal to, if not more than, Ecuador's GDP, operating in remote rainforest with no oversight? Or a start up state-run oil company with no drilling experience and no capital. Hmm. Ever been to the region? Talked to anyone affected? Seen the waste pits? If so, you'd understand why Chevron isn't the victim here.

[fairandaccurate]

Petroecuador was a silent partner with Texaco at the time, and had never extracted oil. It was clear who called the shots. Memos from U.S. Texaco offices show the company micro-managed the operation, deeming industry standard environmental measures too expensive to implement, like toxic wastewater re-injection or lining waste pits. The company destroyed records of spills, and only reported new spills when deemed a "major event," meaning if "press and/or regulatory agencies" got wind of it.

[fairandaccurate]

You read any information from sources OTHER than Chevron? Your regurgitated company sound bites are less than convincing. How much are they paying you? You got family that work there? No one argues that Petroecuador has a great environmental record. But that doesn't absolve Chevron for the massive environmental damage between 1967 and 1991. Texaco spilled so much oil it's a wonder they got any into a pipeline. They designed, built, and operated perhaps the worst oil field operation ever.

[Pantaleon70]

Texaco left Ecuador in 1990 , the law suit was made in 1993 after the comunity organized themselves .

You can't hide the true , and the examination of the ground , it says the time the oil was trow there .

Maybe you saw the BBC video side sponsored by Chevron .

[NorthsideSk8Co]

zennie knows what hes talking about. relax

Juanpasaenz

[Kfirce]

Texaco was responsible do to they where the ones in charge of maitaining the pipe lines that faild in witch resolted in the spill petroecuador sing a contract with texaco that would allowed the texaco company ecplore for oil but it was there equipment that faild not petro ecuador where petro ecuador faild was in expecting the ppipe lines on a refular bases but that did not happen there for i belive is more texaco fult then ecuador petroecuador

[Juanpasaenz]

Also, you're saying that Donziger's being "quite possibly paid by Petroecuador". Could you be kind enough to provide any evidence for that statement?

[Juanpasaenz]

Well Mr Zenny, I don't know where you got your "facts" from, but you're dead wrong on some key issues. For one thing, the consortium wasn't called "Texpet"; Texpet is actually a wholly owned Chevron (then Texaco) subsidiary that was hired by the consortium to conduct the oil production operations. Petroecuador gained control of the operation on 1993, the year Texaco formally left Ecuador. And, as you may or mat not not know, the claim was filed shortly thereafter.

[debaucheryBotched]

These guys are leeches they will attach themselves with anyone they see are on the rise to a seat of power or authority. Everbody does it, but I agree with your suspicion

[antiochblade]

Well Chevron has owned Texaco for many many years honey but you tell it the way you want to sweety . I think we can all tell your story is true .........really........it is......honestly........I really mean it..........you saw it your self.........

[Kfirce]

I m from Ecuador and my uncle was the minister of mines and energy at the time when Texaco made the worst disaster in the amazons Texaco failed to maintain the pipe lines that cost the spilled that is undisputable evidence that I have seen with my own eyes what this men is saying is completely wrong

[gratefulzeppelin420]

More propogranda that is bias. Ironicaly Chrevon Educaor stocks is owned via Senator Obama. Also Chavez is an ally of Senator Obama in his campaign via 3rd party contributions. Chavez is the key of human right violations and with Chavez supporting Obama why would anybody believe your unintelligent remarks.

[jDiggi]

Hey zennie62, have you read the latest post by Eugen Robinson "So Much for St. John"? I would like to get your opinion on it.. I, however, agree with his post.. Why does i feel like nobody else can see what the republicans are doing? I wish i was in a position where my voice could be heard. theres just not enough people calling them out.

[lualagin]

big oil companies are history

[hellmuth26]

This may all be true, but I doubt you'll see a presidential candidate defending big oil anytime soon!

btw, I think every video of yours lately has had a "Paid for by John McCain 2008" banner ad above the topic description, lol.