It is a “historic decision”, the defenders of the Amazon say: a majority of Ecuadorians voted to stop oil production in a symbolic field in the Yasuni Amazon reserve in eastern Ecuador.
• Also read: Ecuador: Demand for armored vehicles explodes amid violence
• Also read: Amazon: a South American summit to save the world’s largest rainforest
• Also read: Indigenous warriors fight against oil exploitation in the Ecuadorian Amazon
In a referendum held on Sunday in parallel with a snap general election, 59% of Ecuadorians voted to halt production of “Block 43,” according to results released Monday morning, which cover 93% of valid ballots.
This national consultation, which has been requested by an environmental group for ten years, was finally approved by the country’s highest court last May.
It was to decide the future of the Ishpingo, Tambococha and Tiputini (ITT) block, known as “Block 43”, which produces 12% of the 466,000 barrels/day produced in Ecuador.
The question asked was, “Do you agree that the Ecuadorian government should leave ITT’s oil, known as Block 43, in the ground indefinitely?” Voters answered 58.99% yes and 41.01 percent % with “No”.
The government, which defied that consultation, estimated losses at $16.47 billion over 20 years if the lockdown were lifted.
Voluntary isolation
The Yasuni is a unique biodiversity reserve and covers almost one million hectares of wet and primary forest. It is also an indigenous country: historical territory of the Waorani, it is also home to the Kichwa as well as the Tagaeri, the Taromenane and the Dugakaeri, the last communities living in voluntary isolation in Ecuador, fleeing modern civilization.
The public company Petroecuador has so far been authorized to intervene on around 300 hectares of Yasuni. She says she barely used 80 acres.
“Today, Ecuador took a big step towards protecting life, biodiversity and indigenous peoples!” celebrated the country’s two most important indigenous organizations, Confeniae and Conaie, on the X network (ex-Twitter).
The environmental group Yasunidos, which was behind the referendum, also welcomed: “This citizen-led consultation shows the largest national consensus in Ecuador. It is the first time that a country has decided to defend life and keep the oil in the ground.” This is a historic victory for Ecuador and for the planet.”
“Ecuador is the first country in the world to stop oil production thanks to direct climate democracy,” celebrated a collective of NGOs including Amazon Frontlines, Yasunidos and Alianza Ceibo.
“The referendum result permanently protects one of the richest places on earth and marks a major victory for tribal rights, rainforest protection and the fight against climate change,” they said in a joint statement.
Several stars and international personalities had campaigned for the stop of “Block 43”, including the actor Leonardo Di Caprio and the Swede Greta Thunberg.
As of Monday morning, neither the government nor Petroecuador had officially responded.
Other blocks in the northern part of the Yasuni have been in operation for decades, but they are at the end of their lives, and “Block 43” has often been presented as the crown jewel of Petroecuador due to the size of its reserves and potential.
lungs of Quito
Oil production has been one of the pillars of Ecuador’s dollar economy since the 1970s. Crude oil, the country’s top export, generated $10 billion in revenue in 2022, roughly equal to GDP.
Almost 500,000 barrels a day are produced throughout the country’s Amazon region (northeast), below the Andes and in the border jungles of Peru and Colombia. This crude oil is transported to the Pacific coast by pipeline.
In the entire region, which has been at the mercy of economic colonization by the state since the 1960s, millions of acres are just wells, pipelines, tankers, tankers, processing stations and flaming torches…
This industry has proved to be a boon to the treasury and the country’s “development,” according to the authorities. But a curse synonymous with debt, poverty and widespread pollution, accuse environmentalists.
Outgoing Conservative President Guillermo Lasso (in power since 2021) intended to double national production. He will leave power in October 2023, at the end of the second round of the expected presidential election, which will be contested by a socialist candidate and the son of a billionaire banana tycoon.
On Sunday, in another local consultation, residents of the Quito municipality voted 68% to end mining in six small towns on the outskirts of the capital, in the Choco Andino area, 287,000 hectares of forest declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Often referred to as the lungs of Quito, the area is notably home to the Andean bear.