Petroecuador denounces sabotage in block 16 and points to Waoranis from Dicaro as possible protagonists

EP Petroecuador reports that it suffered a sabotage committed on the Amo A platform of Block 16, in the province of Orellana, carried out by members of the Waorani community of Dicaro which impacts a daily loss of one thousand barrels of oil to the consolidated production of Blocks 16 and 67, affecting the income of the country and Ecuadorians. The public company announced the initiation of legal actions before the Prosecutor’s Office of the province of Orellana to investigate and determine the material and intellectual authors of the crime.

The company explained that until yesterday, the operation in Blocks 16 and 67 registered a daily average of 13,578 barrels of oil and 648 barrels of crude oil equivalent, which exceeds the audited production with which the public company received the operation on January 1, with 13,533 barrels. According to the company’s account, this Thursday the 26th there was “A premeditated power outage at the AMO 1 camp and AMO A platform.”

This mishap coincided with the sending of a communication to the Ministry of Energy and Mines by the community leaders, Robinson Coba and Araba Omehuay, in which they stated that: “If the State does not have the capacity to compensate, recognize the rights of indigenous peoples affected by oil activities, guarantee our human rights, then, not a drop of oil should pass through our communities or be taken out of our territories”.

According to Petroecuador, the communication also states that: “In case of non-attendance, the Waorani community of Dicaro will exercise, within the framework of the right to Self-determination, the necessary measures to enforce their community territory.”

The indigenous people have made claims to the government on issues of basic services, but they have also demanded the monthly payment of $ one.200 by Petroecuador to each of the community workers waorani for right of way, food and transportation; a payment of $25,000 for the death of a member of the community, Social Security payment for all families woaorania bond $1,000 every six months for single mothers and $2,000 for families in the community -also every six months-. They have said that in order to carry out oil exploitation, they must comply with their requests.

Faced with the stoppage, Petroecuador has had to implement a logistics operation by air. However, a few days ago, the same Waorani community denounced that Petroecuador was flying over their area with helicopters and that this could cause problems with the towns in voluntary isolation. This, because the noise could stress them out and they could attack the Waorani.

Meanwhile, EP Petroecuador assured that it maintains an efficient and responsible operation and acts within its powers regarding the strike inherited from the Dicaro community against the former operator, in which a large part of the demands are outside the current legal framework and in which they must act the Ministries of Energy and Mines; of government; defense; of the Interior, and of the Environment, Water and Ecological Transition and other official instances.

The strike of the Waorani of Dicaro It began on December 25, that is, one month and two days ago.