Earlier this month, there was an oil spill caused by a OCP pipeline located in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Although the OCP company states that their efforts to remove the oil were successful in removing most of the oil, they admit that the oil spill could not be effectively contained due to the geographical landscape of the amazon, which made the oil flow faster than they could contain it. This resulted in vast amounts of oil being found in the Coca River. The residents of who live near ther river were, rightfully, enraged with the environmental catastrophe caused by the oil company. Nearby resident, Bolivia Buenano, reports that many indigenous communities use the water to bathe and drink from, as well as to fish – all options that are not available anymore following the oil spill. Buenano continues to voice her concerns by blaming the Ecuadorian government for not placing the adequate number of regulations and fines to avoid these types of events. She also highlights the fact that the pipeline “holds much of the country’s oil wealth” but nearby residents not only are most affected by these industries, but also see no financial gain from the companies that are polluting and destroying their community.
The first article from Aljazeera covers the event with detailed descriptions of how much oil had reached the Coca River and the square footage of land that is contaminated. The strong point of this article, arguably, are the firsthand accounts from two residents who live near the Coca River that utilize the water supply for everyday purposes. As previously stated, Bolivia Buenano describes how detrimental the oil spill has been for the nearby community, as well as how the clean-up efforts have revealed the extent of how much damage the oil spill has caused. Though the personal accounts are helpful in putting the event into perspective, the article slightly portrays the residents as “whiners”. The author uses phrases like “muttered indignantly” and “they complained” that makes it sound like the oil spill is not as serious as it is, and that the residents shouldn’t be as affected by it. Besides the word choice though, this article is very thorough in its description and coverage of the oil spill in the Ecuadorian amazon.
The second article is from El Paiz, one of the most popular news outlets in Ecuador. This article focuses and describes the perspective from a more environmental standpoint, instead of a personal one like the Aljazeera one. Statements are taken from Marlon Vargas, president of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities, who implores the Ecuadorian government to own up to their mistakes and introduce the proper sanctions for catastrophes like these can be avoided. Thankfully, the government has taken the lead in asking the oil company to provide detailed information “on the magnitude of the disaster, specifying the extent of the environmental damage and the impact on health, in order to guarantee repair actions, but also to define the corresponding sanctions.” Though an important and crucial first step, residents are weary to believe this will change anything as a similar event occurred two years ago- not to mention they have yet to receive compensation for that event as well.
Though the two articles differ in terms of the perspective that is covered, they do not differ in the overall message: the oil extraction industry in Ecuador is destroying the environment. The different points of view from the two articles allow the readers to receive a more comprehensive and well-rounded idea of how extensive the recent oil spill has impacted the Indigenous communities near the Coca River.
Putting this story in the context of our class, there are clear connections to neocolonialism that we discussed earlier in the semester. Comparing how trade and export industries ruined the landscape in rural indigenous communities all over Latin America, we can see how different industries are still taking a toll on people to this day. It is also important to highlight the fact that the indigenous communities in Ecuador are the ones that have been mostly impacted by the oil spill, a theme that has been constant in our review of the literature and history of Latin America.
Sources:
“Ecuador’s Amazon residents seething after new oil spill” Aljazeera 3 February 2022
“Un derrame de petróleo contamina la Amazonia ecuatoriana” El Pais 1 Feburary 2022