Violent flames burning in a see of green, poisoning the air, land and water with toxic fumes 24/7. Oil flares are not an unusual sight in the Ecuadorian Amazon, but to locals like Dannya (13) and Lency (16), they are a constant hazard and a violation of their right to a healthy environment. All to fulfill the supposed energy need of the Global North.
The Amazonian mestizo and Indigenous girls are the representatives of the collective leading a landmark legal case against the multinational company Texaco Chevron which installed the oil flares polluting their homes. Guerreras por la Amazonía consists of women and girls from six ethnicities: Siona, Secoya, Cofán, Quichua, Waorani and Shuar.
These combustion sites have contaminated their air, water, and land, severely impacting the health and lives of thousands of Amazonian families. Women are particularly in danger, because they are the main ones fetching, using, processing the polluted water from the river.
After years of legal struggle, the plaintiffs won a court ruling ordering Texaco Chevron to progressively remove oil flares, starting with those closest to populated areas; however, the Ecuadorian State has failed to comply with the decision. The flares are still burning causing more harm with each day.
To raise awareness, the Union of People Affected by Texaco’s Oil Operations (UDAPT – Friends of the Earth Ecuador) and Amnesty International have organized a European tour with the Amazonian girls in France, Spain, and Belgium.
“They say young people are the future. But we are also the present, that is why we have come to demand justice” – said Dannya (13), who is planning to become a lawyer to represent those without a voice.
Their tour is a call on the international community to support their cause, which is not just local: it is part of the global struggle for a healthy, just planet free from extractive practices that endanger the lives of present and future generations.
