Ecuador votes against oil exploration in the Amazon – 08/21/2023 – World

In addition to deciding the two candidates who will run for president in October, Ecuador voted against oil exploration in a part of the Ecuadorian Amazon in a historic plebiscite this Sunday (20). The fields in question are located in the Yasuni National Park, one of the richest environmental areas in the world, on the border with Peru.

With 70% of the polls counted, 59% of voters answered “yes” to the following popular query: “Do you agree that the Ecuadorian government should keep ITT oil [Ishpingo, Tambococha e Tiputini]known as Block 43, indefinitely underground?” Many criticized the confusing wording of the question.

As a result, the government will have to progressively and orderly withdraw all activities related to oil extraction that currently exist in the area within one year —the period begins on October 4, with the publication of the official results. The State will also not be able to make new contracts.

Despite the area being declared a “biosphere reserve” by Unesco in 1989, state-owned Petroecuador has been extracting oil from Yasuni block 43 since 2016, with permission from then-president Rafael Correa. He tried to create an environmental preservation fund with international contributions to prevent exploitation, but failed.

Those who advocated for “no” in the plebiscite argued that the stoppage will cause loss of income for the country, which is going through a serious security crisis. Those who defended the “yes” highlighted the high impact of the activity on nature and the indigenous peoples of the region. The controversy attracted the attention of celebrities such as Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio and environmental activist Greta Thunberg.

The Yasuní park covers more than 1 million hectares and is home to at least 2,000 species of trees and shrubs, 204 of mammals, 610 of birds, 121 of reptiles, 150 of amphibians and 250 of fish. It is also home to several indigenous populations, including at least two of the last “uncontacted” tribes.

According to government estimates, “block 43” supplies 12% of the 466,000 barrels of oil produced per day by the South American country. The management of the current president, Guillermo Lasso, says that the closure of operations will make the country lose US$ 1.2 billion (R$ 6 billion) per year in revenue. This is equivalent to 0.1% of the local GDP (Gross Domestic Product).

Ecuadorians have decided this is a small price to pay. “I think it’s not worth it, that it doesn’t pay to explore what little nature we have left for this, so I voted against [sim]”, said student Daiana Abril, 25, at the door of a polling station in Magdalena, on the outskirts of Quito, in the morning.

She criticized the question that was on the paper ballots. “The most logical answer would be ‘no’ to oil exploration,” she said. Civil servant Wilson Chulde, 57, had the same opinion: “I voted ‘yes’, but I think many people will vote wrong because they don’t understand the issue, they did the opposite to confuse”, he said.

Confused or not, the Ecuadorians ended up opting for the withdrawal of machinery from the Amazon. “We hope that our example will inspire other countries to do the same,” Pedro Berneo, one of the leaders of Yasunidos, an environmental group that campaigned for the plebiscite ten years ago, told the BBC before the vote.