“Your help is really important for us girls to stay strong and brave in this fight to demand that the Ecuadorian government stops failing to respect our rights … These gas flares, they only thing they leave us here in the Ecuadorian Amazon is death, destruction, disease …”
Leonela Moncayo
Leonela Moncayo and eight other girls, from communities devastated by cancer and contamination, call themselves “warriors for the Amazon”. They filed a lawsuit against state permits authorizing gas flaring by oil companies because of the impact on people and the environment. The girls won! The court ordered a phase-out of flaring. Yet a new report by Amnesty International concludes that instead of implementing the court ruling, authorities have thus far only taken steps to maintain oil production at all costs. Indeed, the number of flares has increased, some within just 5 kilometres of populated areas.
Leonela and the other Amazonian girls are appealing for our support as they courageously confront powerful economic interests to press for urgent action to protect the rights of their communities, the Amazon and all of us!
The Problem
Gas flares emit huge quantities of gases that contribute to global warming, causing serious consequences for human rights now and in the future. In addition, these gas flares create “sacrifice zones” where people, who have been historically marginalized, breathe toxic gases daily.
By maintaining and protecting flaring rather than implementing existing alternatives to replace this practice, the Ecuadorian state is not only failing to comply with the court ruling but is also neglecting its international obligations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, failure to eliminate the flares allows for the emission of super pollutants such as methane, with a global warning potential that is 84 times greater than that of carbon dioxide.
As well, some of the pollutants emitted by gas flares are associated with cases of respiratory diseases, eye irritation, premature births and increased risk of cancer. Gas flaring also causes serious harm to the environment and biodiversity in surrounding areas.
Despite a 52-year association with the oil industry, provinces of the Amazon where crude oil extraction is concentrated have the country’s highest poverty rates based on income, as well as alarming rates of chronic child malnutrition, environmental pollution and gender-based violence. Inhabitants of the region and the biodiversity of its ecosystems have suffered the worst consequences of oil extraction. With each gas flare lit, the future burns for everybody, especially children.
The Solution
The Amazonian girls, supported by the Union of People Affected by the Operations of Texaco (UDAPT), are leading the way! Thanks to their lawsuit, the Provincial Court of Justice of Sucumbios recognized that human rights violations were occurring because of routine gas flaring in the poorest communities in the Amazon region and that flaring was exacerbating the country’s contribution to global warming. The court ordered the state to provide full reparation for the harm caused, including the following actions: 1. Require companies to adjust their practices and phase out gas flaring, prioritizing closure of flares located near populated areas; 2. Properly research the health impacts and provide hospitals specializing in oncology.
With enormous determination and courage, the Amazonian girls are campaigning to press for implementation of the court ruling. They have been denigrated, falsely accused, intimidated, and attacked for speaking up for human rights and the environment. Earlier this year, a home-made bomb exploded outside the home of Leonela Moncayo. Thankfully no one was hurt but the risks continue amid a precarious human rights situation in Ecuador.
Amnesty International has launched a new campaign to support the Amazonian girls and their rightful demands. Their cause is our cause! Together, we are aiming to press Ecuador to become the first country in Latin America (and the world) to take decisive action to eliminate harmful gas flares so as to uphold its human rights and climate commitments.
TAKE ACTION
Learn More
Read Amnesty’s new report “The Amazon is burning, the future is burning!” Young activists defending the Ecuadorian Amazon from gas flares that threaten rights now and in the future.
E-Action
Click here to send a message to Ecuador’s President and Energy Minister supporting the calls of the Amazonian girl climate defenders. Be a multiplier! Share the action with your networks to increase pressure from Canada for action by Ecuador.
Social Media
Ecuadorian officials are mindful of their reputation in Canada, particularly amid free trade negotiations. Post on social media expressing your support for the just demands of the Amazonian girls, tagging them (@GuerrerasxAM), and Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa (@DanielNoboaOk). You can also tweet the tweet below
The Amazon is On Fire! The Future is on fire!
Write a letter
Send a letter to the Attorney General of Ecuador demanding guarantees of protection for the Amazonian girl climate defenders. The instructions are in this Urgent Action.
More to come
Watch this space for updates about the Amazonian girls and future opportunities to show our support for their campaign to stop harmful gas flaring. Please contact campaigner Kathy Price about the information in this blog:- kprice@amnesty.ca
