Ecuador prepares to fight as government sells gold-laden land to China

tay

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May 20, 2012
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“The government has given away land that is not theirs to give, and we have a duty to protect it. Where there is industrial mining, the rivers die and we lose our way of life. They want us to give up our traditions, work in the mines, and let them pollute our land. But we will give our lives to defend the land, because the end is the same for us either way.”

Most people have heard of the Shuar, even if they don’t realize it. They are the storied Amazonian “head shrinking” tribe. Each of a long succession of enemies have learned firsthand of their tzantza ritual, in which the heads of slain invaders are removed at the collarbone, relieved of their skulls, and shrunk by seasoned boiling in a multi-day ceremony. Tzantza is just one of many rituals rooted in a cosmology of animist spirits. Collectively, these spirits are known as Arutam, a shape-shifting pantheistic godhead whose name loosely translates as “soul power.”

Atop a bridge leading to Shuar territory in the southern province of Zamora-Chinchipe, I encountered an oversize statue of Arutam in human form wielding a staff astride a giant toucan, redolent of the dragon-like beasts of “Avatar.”

If James Cameron’s fictional Na’vi of “Avatar” reflect the essence and predicament of one real-world tribe, it’s the Shuar. While they do not expect an action-hero savior to fall from the sky, they recognize that avoiding further bloodshed and protecting the Condor ultimately depends on getting the attention of the wider world, and quickly.

“The world needs to know what is happening in Ecuador, because the destruction of the Condor will have effects for the Amazon, and what affects the Amazon affects the planet as a whole,” said Ankuash. “The world must understand the Condor is not an ordinary patch of jungle.”

The amount of water pulsing through the Condor, says Luna, makes laughable government and industry claims that large stores of toxic mining waste can be contained in tailing ponds, and that samples of the region’s wildlife can be preserved in greenhouse Arks for future replanting. “The Condor cycle is supported by at least two dozen kinds of fragile soils and vegetation cover,” he said. “This web of microclimates will not survive the violence of major mining. It all begins with the rain and the rivers, and the mining will affect rainfall, drying up and contaminating important hinges in the larger Amazon River system. The fools don’t understand that disturbing one part disturbs the whole.”
* * *


more
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“To get the gold, they will have to kill every one of us” - Salon.com
 

damngrumpy

Executive Branch Member
Mar 16, 2005
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This is the beginning of a bloody disaster in more ways than one. Oh we
can expound on the environment and the rivers and rain forests and argue
till we a blue in the face. This is not the main problem in this region of the
world. What troubles me is a few years ago, the political climate changed.
The scale tipped toward a more left oriented series of governments that at
the time time were more in keeping with the environment and the rights of
the people. This is a left leaning government that condemned the actions
of foreign masters and pledged to be more in keeping with the rights of
peoples currently custodians of the land. Unfortunately this government
may well have become what they once condemned.
 

gopher

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Jun 26, 2005
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This is a left leaning government that condemned the actions
of foreign masters and pledged to be more in keeping with the rights of
peoples currently custodians of the land. Unfortunately this government
may well have become what they once condemned.


You hit the nail right on the head, Grumpy. PAIS (the ruling party at present) ran as part of its campaign an avowed recognition of Indigenous rights. Because of this it got majority support from the Tawantinsuyu (Inka) and Jivaroan (Amazonian) peoples. The latter are not normally involved in national political affairs. But in recent decades, starting with the military dictatorship of the 1970s the corrupt politicians gave all kinds of oil lease concessions to corporatists. This gave all the profits to the wealthy elites, took the lands from Indigenous peoples, and put the nation into debt. President Correa did manage to reduce the debt to the international bankers by 60% or so but this likely came with a price - that is, giving more land concessions. This time to China in order to get more credit. Interestingly, Correa is saying that the CIA has threatened to disrupt the upcoming election - probably a ploy to get the rest of the nation behind him. But not likely to be true as the opposition, so far as I know, is only coming from people who are further left than he is.
 

bill barilko

Senate Member
Mar 4, 2009
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South American natives make Canadian ones look like the effeminate poseurs they are-there'll be blood in the street before long almost always is.

I've spent a bunch of time in Ecuador-violent protest is nothing new and protestors are serious they don't go on phony hunger strikes.
 

L Gilbert

Winterized
Nov 30, 2006
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the-brights.net
“The government has given away land that is not theirs to give, and we have a duty to protect it. Where there is industrial mining, the rivers die and we lose our way of life. They want us to give up our traditions, work in the mines, and let them pollute our land. But we will give our lives to defend the land, because the end is the same for us either way.”

Most people have heard of the Shuar, even if they don’t realize it. They are the storied Amazonian “head shrinking” tribe. Each of a long succession of enemies have learned firsthand of their tzantza ritual, in which the heads of slain invaders are removed at the collarbone, relieved of their skulls, and shrunk by seasoned boiling in a multi-day ceremony. Tzantza is just one of many rituals rooted in a cosmology of animist spirits. Collectively, these spirits are known as Arutam, a shape-shifting pantheistic godhead whose name loosely translates as “soul power.”

Atop a bridge leading to Shuar territory in the southern province of Zamora-Chinchipe, I encountered an oversize statue of Arutam in human form wielding a staff astride a giant toucan, redolent of the dragon-like beasts of “Avatar.”

If James Cameron’s fictional Na’vi of “Avatar” reflect the essence and predicament of one real-world tribe, it’s the Shuar. While they do not expect an action-hero savior to fall from the sky, they recognize that avoiding further bloodshed and protecting the Condor ultimately depends on getting the attention of the wider world, and quickly.

“The world needs to know what is happening in Ecuador, because the destruction of the Condor will have effects for the Amazon, and what affects the Amazon affects the planet as a whole,” said Ankuash. “The world must understand the Condor is not an ordinary patch of jungle.”

The amount of water pulsing through the Condor, says Luna, makes laughable government and industry claims that large stores of toxic mining waste can be contained in tailing ponds, and that samples of the region’s wildlife can be preserved in greenhouse Arks for future replanting. “The Condor cycle is supported by at least two dozen kinds of fragile soils and vegetation cover,” he said. “This web of microclimates will not survive the violence of major mining. It all begins with the rain and the rivers, and the mining will affect rainfall, drying up and contaminating important hinges in the larger Amazon River system. The fools don’t understand that disturbing one part disturbs the whole.”
* * *


more
.

“To get the gold, they will have to kill every one of us” - Salon.com
I wish them luck. The people that treasure profit over people, though, are very powerful.
 

damngrumpy

Executive Branch Member
Mar 16, 2005
9,949
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This could be the Lefts undoing in South America, after all they were elected to put an end
to the injustice of the right. What is really a problem here is that China which is as bad
from a foreign policy position as America in that region, is now gaining influence.
America has screwed itself in South and much of Central America for allowing its foreign
policy of expedience. It was all about profit and to hell with the average person. In addition
Canadians can proudly stand up and take their share of the Shame. Our mining companies
are among the worst in the world when it comes to corruption, and environmental degradation.
Lavalin in a prime example.
Its all about those wonderful resource companies that tell us how environmentally friendly they
are from the Gulf of Mexico, to the Tar Sands and in Africa, and South America. Its about greed
and profit and left wing greed is not different than right wing greed.
The real solution is to ensure governments in all countries get control of their territory again and
put these companies in their place. No more fines, put some Board Members in Jail for
infractions of the law.
 

petros

The Central Scrutinizer
Nov 21, 2008
108,912
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Uhuh. That would depend upon how big the bunch of Canadians was, wouldn't it? China is simply trying to invade only a part of Ecuador so only a small part of Ecuadoreans are gonna fight. E-L wants to invade the entire country. :)

Also, who says they would get caught in order to be arrested? :D
How do you shoot or beat up a Corporation?
 

gopher

Hall of Fame Member
Jun 26, 2005
21,513
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This could be the Lefts undoing in South America, after all they were elected to put an end to the injustice of the right. What is really a problem here is that China which is as bad
from a foreign policy position as America in that region, is now gaining influence.
America has screwed itself in South and much of Central America for allowing its foreign
policy of expedience. It was all about profit and to hell with the average person. In addition
Canadians can proudly stand up and take their share of the Shame. Our mining companies
are among the worst in the world when it comes to corruption, and environmental degradation.
Lavalin in a prime example.
Its all about those wonderful resource companies that tell us how environmentally friendly they
are from the Gulf of Mexico, to the Tar Sands and in Africa, and South America. Its about greed
and profit and left wing greed is not different than right wing greed.
The real solution is to ensure governments in all countries get control of their territory again and
put these companies in their place. No more fines, put some Board Members in Jail for
infractions of the law.



Strangely enough, Correa won by a large margin and he had a coalition of various groups (including Indigenous peoples) who joined him. The left is now firmly entrenched in power there and he stands to become the top leftist spokesman for all of South America.


Ecuador's Correa wins third presidential term - Americas - Al Jazeera English



Note how Native Americans join in celebration:









 

CDNBear

Custom Troll
Sep 24, 2006
43,839
207
63
Ontario
South American natives make Canadian ones look like the effeminate poseurs they are-there'll be blood in the street before long almost always is.
Geezus, you say some pretty stupid stuff.

I'm so sorry we aren't as uncivilized as you would like, lol.
 

CDNBear

Custom Troll
Sep 24, 2006
43,839
207
63
Ontario
How many times have you visited South America?
Twice for work, several times for pleasure.

Although I have no idea what that has to do with the idiocy you fill your posts with.

FYI-those places are far far beyond the Call of the Trailer Park you/your ilk are so familiar with.
Trailer park?

Dude you really need to get out of your little BC town at least once in your life.

You'd actually know what South America and First nations reserves are actually like.
 

gopher

Hall of Fame Member
Jun 26, 2005
21,513
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48
Minnesota: Gopher State
WaSHÏTington Post reports that Correa suppresses the independent news media in Ecuador:


Ecuador’s Rafael Correa suppresses his country’s media - The Washington Post

"Mr. Correa has intimidated Ecuador’s independent media into virtual silence. Since May, the government closed 11 other radio stations that did not toe its line. A law forbidding biased reporting on political campaigns and allowing dissatisfied candidates to sue over alleged violations forced the media into pallid and skimpy coverage of the alternatives to Mr. Correa, according to a report by the Committee to Protect Journalists — even as government media blatantly ignored the rules."



Below is the webs site of
“CIUDADANIA INFORMADA”





Ciudadanía Informada - Quiénes Somos?




As it states (in Spanish) it is an independent news voice since 2004 and has not been suppressed by the government:




“Ciudadanía Informada” es un medio de comunicación que tiene una clara línea de independencia editorial, se desarrolla libre de influencias políticas y económicas, y está regido únicamente por consideraciones periodísticas.




Translation:




"Informed Citizenry" is a medium that has a clear line of editorial independence, distributes information free of undue political and economic influence, and is governed solely by professional journalistic considerations."



Despite the fact that the political left has support from the vast majority of its citizens (including Native Americans as shown above), the controlled right wing media in the USA libels the government by pretending that it is suppressing the free flow of information. Same garbage they said about Chavez in Venezuela all of which turned out to be slanderous garbage.