Much Ado about Oil: Eco-Capitalism and Yasuni's Biodiversity
Canadian Mining Firms Lead Extractive Push in Ecuador's Sacred Territories
Much Ado about Oil: Eco-Capitalism and Yasuni's Biodiversity
by taller ahuehuete
✎ 4 minutes
A US$500 million loan approved by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) aims to stir Ecuador's government to promote reforms aimed at public and private investment in the energy sector. Ecuador's efforts to increase extractive activity and reduce reliance on oil revenues have led to the announcement of six new 'strategic' mining projects, five of which will be led by Canadian firms, including Adventus Mining and Atico Mining. These projects may obtain environmental licenses without the requirement for prior consultation.
Meanwhile, in the dense Ecuadorian jungle, armed with a blowgun and deadly poisoned darts, Kominta¹, a member of the Waorani tribe, stands defiant against the encroachment of oil exploration on his ancestral territory. The Waorani community of approximately 200 people resides in Yasuni National Park, a biodiversity hotspot and home to some of the last uncontacted originary communities on Earth. As Ecuadorians prepare to vote in a referendum on whether to halt crude oil exploitation within the reserve, the future of this fragile ecosystem hangs in the balance.
For Kominta and his fellow Waorani, the jungle is not just their home; the thought of strangers invading their sacred lands brings forth resistance. Nonetheless, the situation is not as clear-cut as it may seem. The community is divided on the matter, with some members siding with oil companies and their economic involvement in their villages.
The Yasuni National Park is a testament to the unparalleled diversity of the Amazon rainforest, housing an astonishing array of flora and fauna. The park is home to over 2,000 tree species, 610 bird species, 204 mammal species, more than 120 reptile species, and 150 amphibian species, as documented by the San Francisco University of Quito. However, beneath this thriving natural paradise lies an assessed 466,000 barrels of oil for daily extraction, representing 12 percent of Ecuador's current petroleum production.
"We have reasons and arguments to defend Yasuní and say that defending Yasuní is defending life. First, UNESCO declared that it is one of the most biodiverse areas in the world. In the period of the Earth's glaciation, what is now the Amazon basin was an area that did not freeze, hence the immense diversity. It is sacred territory for the indigenous peoples," Leónidas Iza stated in an interview with VientoSur².
Recently, a delegation led by Leónidas Iza embarked on a tour of Europe to discuss the struggles of indigenous peoples and other peasant, environmental, and feminist movements. The campaign for the Yasuní and the presentation of the book "Estallido: La rebelión de octubre en Ecuador," authored by Iza, along with Andrés Tapia and Andrés Madrid, featured prominently. The book presents a theoretical and academic attempt to analyze the events of October 2019 in the nation-state, emphasizing the significance of narrating social struggles from the perspective of those who actively participated in them rather than a neutral academic viewpoint.
"We have heard politicians say that we cannot continue to be poor while sitting on a sack of gold, but the problem is that this sack of gold, for us, is the balance of ecological prerequisites. Because, in the case of mining, what would be the sack of gold? The mountain! And it is from the mountain that the water we drink originates, which enables the ecological conditions sustaining our agricultural system. The 70% that we consume depends on these resources."
Canada is the leading foreign investor in Ecuador³, primarily funneled into the mining sector. Residents continuously report witnessing Canadian companies deploying armed forces to enable extraction despite the communities' opposition, leading to violent deaths, arrests, kidnappings, and arbitrary disappearances.
As the priests of progress and civilization — to the left and to the right — dye their tunics a shade of green, the canon of devotional chants for capital’s blessing now extends to include terms peddling a new, ethical form of “sustainability.” Eco-capitalism's position might be more sanctimonious, in contrast with its previous oil-thirsty stance, but the hymns praise the same and unique deity: capital.
¹ AFP. "Ecuador jungle community hopes the vote will end oil drilling." Phys.org.
² Leónidas Iza for Viento Sur. Maureen Zelaya, "ECUADOR, LEÓNIDAS IZA: 'Los pueblos indígenas no podemos seguir cargando sobre nuestros hombros el desarrollo capitalista'," (MAUREEN ZELAYA03/AGO/2023), Anticapitalistas.
³ Herrera, Viviana, and Ivonne Ramos. (August 4, 2023). "Violence surrounds Canadian mining projects in Ecuador: Ecuador is embracing mining investment at the expense of Indigenous peoples, nature." MiningWatch Canada.