Two Organizations Supporting Ecuador’s Plan to Exploit Oil in Yasuni

Quito, August 27 (Andes).-Andes.info.ec reported that two social and workers’ organizations announced today their support for the Executive branch in order for the legislature to authorize the development of the Yasuni fields; this comes after the initiative put forward to the world to receive a compensation of half the cost of its production was not well received during six years of efforts.

The National Confederation of Farmer, Indigenous and Black Organizations (“Fenocin” for its initials in Spanish) raises the possibility to set up an oversight body in the Yasuni area to follow up on the President’s proposal presented a few days ago when he announced the end of the Initiative Yasuni – ITT, said Santos Villamar, president of Fenocin.

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“We support this proposal because we believe that it will be an answer to many Ecuadorians’ interests and that these resources will help to deepen in the country’s social programs and to deepen and strengthen the agricultural sector of this country; (also so that) the agricultural revolution comes true in the country and so it helps expand the lands fund”, upheld Villamar.

The Workers Committee of Ecuador (“CTE” for its initials in Spanish) also made official their support to the Executive’s proposal. The union recognizes that the use of natural resources currently requires political will for the exploitation to be done in a technical manner and with cutting edge technology, to be environmentally sustainable, expressed Edgar Sarango, President of CTE.

“Ecuador requires the intake of fresh capital; Ecuador does not have ample capacity to generate internal resources and the exploration and exploitation of natural resources is one of the options available to the country”, mentioned the union leader.

Besides, Sarango said that the country needs social, economic development, to improve life conditions for Ecuadorians, to continue to promote alternatives non-traditional alternatives such as music, dance, ecology, environment, which require a basic capital.

Last week, natives from the Amazon invited the Government to a meeting that will take place on September 4th in the community of Kawimeno, in Orellana, to learn about the implications of the exploitation of the ITT field (Ishpingo, Tiputini and Tambococha).

Referendum

The Referendum request proposed by some social, environmental and indigenous organizations is analyzed by the segments that support the government.

Sarango said that it is necessary to widely communicate to people about the Yasuni ITT’s exploration and exploitation to avoid confusing people and that the issue of the referendum will be discussed at CTE’s national convention, to be held in September.

“The national government is responsible for leading us within a Good Living framework, to generate work sources, to give us Ecuadorians good living conditions, if part of this means the exploitation of natural resources, then that’s what they have to do”, said Sarango.

Franklin Columbia, Fenocin leader, rejected the Referendum petition that other social agents are promoting, including some right-wing groups.

“We aren’t saying we favor the referendum, but we do want to tell them that the Ecuadorian people have the right to express themselves. We, as Fenocin, will present our viewpoint afterwards, but that is a decision for Ecuadorian people”.

The support announcements are issued in the framework of the announcement of the start of territorial mobilizations reported by Ecuarunari, a farmer and indigenous organization of the highlands kindred to the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador, who announced their non-acceptance of the exploitation of Yasuni – ITT, mining exploitation and the recovery of Intercultural Education. Read Article