ITT activates river transport, ‘catering’ and cleaning in communities ‘outraged’ by public consultation

The ships that regularly transport workers of Petroecuador, but also of other oil companies, from Coca to ITT Block 43 have panoramic windows and comfortable seats, are equipped with a flat screen and connectors for connecting electronic devices, sail the Aguarico River for four hours and along the way you can see barges that transport trucks and fuel. Some of these boats belong to the community and this operation leaves them with about $150,000 which they use for activities such as mingas and to help people when they are sick.

This is a sample how oil activity in turn drives the economy of communities. Certain ships are part of it Wayra Shynalla River Cooperative, belonging to Boca Tiputina, one of seven communities (six Kichwas and one Waorani) near the block.

Representatives of these communities arrived this Tuesday, June 20, in the port of Tiputini on the ITT to talk with The director of Petroecuador, Ramón Correa, and expressed his “indignation”, They are against the referendum and the intention of environmental groups “that do not represent them” to stop ITT’s oil activities.

It is about the fact that in two months – on August 20, 2023 – a national consultation will be held where the voters must decide whether they agree to leave ITT oil on land. According to Petroecuador’s calculations, this would mean that the state would stop receiving about 1,200 million dollars a year, and more than 16,000 million dollars in 20 years. including abandonment costs, remediation and fees to be borne by the company.

Lauro Papa, member of the Kichwa community from Boca Tiputini, ensures that a good friendly relationship with the state oil company is maintained for ten years. That they were able to get health care, scholarships for education, among others, which benefited them. He maintains that environmental management has always been healthy and so far they have had no contamination. “It would hurt us as a community if the oil company left, but it doesn’t just affect Boca Tiputini, it affects all Ecuadorians.”

“As the canton of Aguarico, we are outraged that other groups are taking our name, the name of our ancestors”, he also assures that on June 30, a cantonal assembly will be held in which 16 Kichwa communities will participate. “We will tell the Ecuadorians that it is not responsible to keep the oil on land, it affects us.” And he assures that his statement is against the consultation and for the continuation of oil exploitation, because it brought them prosperity.

Marco Grefa, president of the Boca Tiputini community, shows that the benefits they received from the oil company were different, framed in compensation and indemnification contracts mandated by Amazonian law. He assures that operating the ships gives them about $150,000, which they use for activities such as mingas and helping people when they are sick. But they also had education for their children, some of them could go to university. It also ensures that they can provide services of water boats, barges, bus rentals, among others.

William Llerena, representative of Asocatín, an association, has a similar point of view hospitality industry which supplies food to the oil company. There are 34 workers, community and Amazon, which provide service to the ITT block. “If the advisory to keep crude oil in the field won, there would be a lot of people out of a job,” he says, while assuring that he and his family who live in Coca will vote against because they don’t want ITT to close.

Ships must be moved to block 31, and the sunset, with its bright reds, yellows and purples, reveals the beauty of nature that remains largely untouched. Wiliam Licui, who has been operating boats and canoes for fifteen years, runs El Ídolo with great attention and reads the river and its shadows. He has just learned that a public consultation has been announced, but he says he does not agree: “If the company leaves, what will people live on?”, he wonders.