Waoranis concerned about COVID-19 cases in oil block near their communities

“We have repeatedly warned the National Government of the enormous risk of maintaining the normal course of extractive activities within indigenous territories,” they warn.

The organization of the Waorani Nationality of Ecuador (NAWE) alerted this April 21, 2020 of the detection of 2 positive cases of COVID-19 among the workers of Block 16 in Orellana, which is close to their communities.
 

Block 16 overlaps the heart of the Waorani ancestral territory, where more than a dozen communities and towns live. This territory is also part of the mobility areas and areas of presence of the isolated Tagaeri / Taromenane indigenous peoples who are in a situation of voluntary isolation.

Said cases would have been detected the previous week during check-ups and routine procedures for entering Block 16, located in Orellana.

“We have repeatedly warned the National Government of the enormous risk of maintaining the normal course of extractive activities within indigenous territories. Especially where the social situations of indigenous peoples, together with the weak state health coverage, generate a situation of extremely high vulnerability for the indigenous nationalities that we live in the territory ”,

They urge the National Government, the health authorities, the emergency operating committees at the national and provincial levels to adopt special protocols for the protection of indigenous territories and populations, in coordination with their governing councils and indigenous representatives.

They ask to establish strict control and restriction measures for the activities of oil company personnel, who are operating legally in indigenous territories to prevent the spread of the epidemic.

While extractive activities that do not have the prior, free and informed consent of indigenous peoples “all operations should be immediately suspended, including those related to organizing prior consultations and obtaining consent.”

Finally, they demand from the Ministry of Health all the information on the detection of the two infected in Block 16 and to advance the necessary protection measures.