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LA HORA

14 de JULIO del 2005   JULY 14, 2005


HUAORANI PEOPLE MAKE THEIR VOICE HEARD

 

LA HORA

July 14, 2005

Huaorani people make their voice heard

Close to 100 Huaorani occupied the Plaza Grande around noon yesterday with the intent of petitioning the Government for more than a system of highway administration for the people of the Amazon, for actions to remediate the environmental impact that oil exploitation produces.

Enquinme Enquire, vice-president of the Organization of Huaorani People, said that if roads are necessary, what is most important to them is that the company Petrobras depart from Block 31, belonging to Yasuní National Park, due to the harm caused to the environment.

“The director of Petrobras, Pablo Benavides, told us that he is going to help the people if he decides to; why he has not said that before the contract?” he asked.

The Huaorani set a thirty-day period so that the Government can rule on the case.

In a meeting with the Minister of Government, Mauricio Gándara, Gándara sent greetings to the people in the name of President Alfredo Palacio.

In this meeting, the president of CONAIE, Luis Macas, also participated and pointed out that the law should be fair to all Ecuadorians and that it should, above all, respect their rights.

For his part, Gándara delegated the undersecretary of Government, Carlos Cornejo, to coordinate the creation of a commission that will, next week, inspect the situation.

He announced that this commission could include not only government officials, but also human rights organizations, ecology groups, and even international institutions.

“The objective is to arbitrate the conflict, searching for ways to protect the basic rights of indigenous people,” he said.

_______________________

EN ESPANOL

La Hora

14 de Julio del 2005

Pueblo huaorani hizo escuchar su voz

Cerca de unos 100 huaorani ocuparon la Plaza Grande pasado el medio día de ayer, con el propósito de pedir al Gobierno más que un sistema de vialidad para los pueblos de la Amazonia, acciones para remediar el impacto ambiental que produce la explotación petrolera.

Enquinme Enquire, vicepresidente de la Organización del Pueblo Huaorani, dijo que si bien necesitan carreteras, lo más importante para ellos es que se exija la salida de la empresa Petrobras del bloque 31 perteneciente al Parque Nacional Yasuní, por los daños ocasionados al medio ambiente.

"El gerente de Petrobras, Pablo Benavides, nos dijo que va a ayudar al pueblo si él decide, por qué no dijo eso antes del convenio", señaló.

En este sentido, los huaorani dieron 30 días de plazo para que el Gobierno se pronuncie.

Tras reunirse con el ministro de Gobierno, Mauricio Gándara, éste les dio la bienvenida a nombre del presidente Alfredo Palacio.

De este encuentro también participó el presidente de la CONAIE, Luis Macas, quien puntualizó que la Ley debe ser equitativa para todos los ecuatorianos y sobre todo para respetar sus derechos.

Por su parte Gándara, delegó al subsecretario de Gobierno, Carlos Cornejo, a fin de que coordine la conformación de una comisión que realice la próxima semana una inspección del lugar.

Anunció que esta comisión podría integrarla no solo gente del Gobierno, sino de los organismos de Derechos Humanos, entidades ecologistas y hasta organismos internacionales.

"El objetivo, es que actúen de árbitros del conflicto, buscando que se protejan los derechos básicos de los pueblos aborígenes", aseveró.

 

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