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Defending National Sovereignty

Why is the Chevron Case so Important to Ecuadorian National Dignity?

• The Chevron (formerly Texaco) case strengthens the sovereignty of the Ecuadorian state in that the plaintiffs seek to impose national law above powerful foreign interests that ignore it. Supporting the obligatory application of national legislation implies the strengthening of national sovereignty.

• Supporting the Chevron case is to defend Ecuador’s right as a state, and demonstrates that the effective exercise of constitutional rights (such as the right to an uncontaminated environment) cannot be blocked by contract, law, or any act of government, as any government act is subject to legal principles.

• The Chevron case is tied to the struggle to strengthen the rule of law and jurisprudence, along with the basic principles of a true democracy. This case rests on the principle that the law applies equally to all without privilege for powerful economic entities.

• The trial strengthens the nation’s position in matters of human rights and all those who form part of this struggle are considered defenders of human rights.

• Supporting the Chevron case reflects a concern for the environmental problems that threaten us. Environmental protection mechanisms will be strengthened by this case and represent a strong precedent in the sanction of environmental violations to the benefit of the entire nation.

• Supporting the Chevron case exhibits a modern consciousness that values and understands the importance of the environment. Environmental damage repair implies the protection and worth of the natural legacy of all Ecuadorians and leads to the infusion of financial resources into the Ecuadorian economic system.

• Supporting the Chevron case is to support the thousands of brave Ecuadorians who, for the first time, have taken action in an indictment of such proportions. This demonstrates that we are willing to defend our rights regardless of whom we must oppose.

• Supporting the Chevron case provides an important precedent on an international level: that a transnational corporation can be brought to book before the courts of a country other than its own. The Chevron case in Ecuador represents the first time that a Latin American nation has forced a transnational corporation to abide by its laws.

Supporting the Chevron Case Means Defending National Sovereignty

VANITY FAIR
Jungle Law: Politics & Power

"One of the problems with modern society is that it places more importance on things that have a price than on things that have a value. Breathing clean air, for instance, or having clean water in the rivers, or having legal rights—these are things that don't have a price but have a huge value. Oil does have a price, but its value is much less. And sometimes we make the mistake."

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NEW YORK TIMES
   Rainforest Jekyll & Hyde

"The systematic way that they disposed of toxic waste in Ecuador was to dump it into open-air pits that they dug out of the jungle soil, or directly into rivers, streams and swamps in one of the most delicate ecosystems on the planet"

Myths QA 20SEP06.pdf (55.70 KB)
 
Does Chevron respect the law and human rights in Ecuador? You decide.  On its website Chevron pledges to “conduct business in a socially responsible and ethical manner” and “to respect the communities” where it operates.  But Chevron’s defense in the historic environmental trial in Ecuador’s rainforest (“Lago trial”) – where damages could be in the billions of dollars – can hardly be considered “ethical” or respectful of human rights.

Purveyors of Chevron's Fraud

Rodrigo PEREZ PALLARES

"Children all over the world get cancer"

Rodrigo PEREZ PALLARES

CHEVRON ATTORNEY WHO SIGNED FRAUDULENT CLEAN-UP AGREEMENT ON THE OIL GIANT´S BEHALF THEREBY SELLING OUT THE HEALTH OF HIS OWN PEOPLE. SAYS THAT: "CHILDREN ALL OVER THE WORLD GET CANCER."