(Ecuador) The Organization of Indigenous Peoples of Pastaza (OPIP)
is organizing a march from all Indian communities of the Pastaza
Province to the government offices in Quito. More than 2,000
Indians will be marching 20 days, demanding the legalization of
the territories they inhabit and that the national constitution be
reformed to reflect the plurinational and multicultural reality of
Ecuador.
The Achuar, Quichua and Shiwiar people from 148 communities will
be arriving on foot April 11 in Puyo, where they will start the
steep ascent to the capitol of Quito. The march will last
approximately 20 days.
After two and one-half years of fruitless dialogue between the
national administration and the Indians, the government refused to
legalize the Indian territories and continues to give in to
pressure from transnational oil, timber, mining and tourism
industries to exploit the Amazon jungle of Pastaza. At the same
time, the government has been moving ahead quickly with plans to
colonize the region under a project known as "Living Frontiers."
Twenty years of oil exploitation in the Northern Ecuadorian Amazon
has caused serious ecological and social disasters in that 12
million acre region. Oil companies are now moving into the 5
million acre Central Ecuadorian Amazon region of Pastaza which the
Quichua, Shiwiar and Achuar people are defending.
After 500 years of Indian land invasions, the government of
Ecuador is not willing to change their course and negotiate fairly
with the Native populations. For this reason, the Indians have
found it necessary to mobilize in this way. The government plans
to attend the "Earth Summit 92" meeting this June in Brazil with
"proof" of their commitment to ecological development. Meanwhile,
they are imposing land titles with the goal of shattering the
territorial and organizational unity of the Native inhabitants.
The members of OPIP claim that global solidarity is absolutely
essential for the success of the march. They are asking for
support in the following:
1. Send faxes, telegrams and letters expressing your support of
the Indigenous people of Pastaza in their demands for the
legalization of their territories, that the Ecuadorian
constitution be reformed to reflect the plurinational and
multicultural reality of Ecuador, and that the participants in the
march from Puyo to Pastaza not be obstructed in any way.
Send to: Dr. Rodrigo Borja Cevallos, Presidente de la Republica
del Ecuador, Garcia Moreno 1043 y Chile, Quito, Ecuador. Tel:
593-2-515-408, Fax: 593-2-563-469 Dr. Antonio Gagliardo, Ministro
de Bienestar Social, Robles 850 y Amazonas, Quito, Ecuador. Tel:
593-2-504-070, Fax: 593-2-563-469
Send copies to OPIP for their work with the press to: OPIP,
Centro Cultural Abya-Yala, Avda 12 de Octubre 1430 y Wilson,
Casilla 17-12-719, Quito, Ecuador. Tel: 593-2-506-248, Fax:
593-2-506-255
2. Organize solidarity marches and demonstrations in front of
Ecuadorian Embassies and consulates world-wide, or in a central
location in your town/city between April 11th and the 30th.
3. Call the Ecuadorian embassies and consulates and express your
concern for the above demands and the safety of the marchers.
4. Help to raise funds to help cover the expenses of the march.
Please send what you can in US dollars to: Antonio Vargas,
President of OPIP, Bank of America, Berkeley main #175, Account #
01758-02591, California, USA
Antonio Vargas, Presidente de OPIP, Banco Holandes Unido en Quito,
Ecuador, CTA CTE 4046641 USD, 10 de Agosto No. 91 Bancolonda 2153,
Casilla 42, 2987 man., Quito, Ecuador, Tel: 593-2-524-200, Fax:
593-2-567-308
5. Stay in contact with OPIP concerning the developments of the
march through the following people: Antonio Vargas, Presidente de
la OPIP, Centro Cultural Abya-Yala, Avda. 12 de Octubre 1430 y
Wilson, Quito, Ecuador, Tel: 593-2-506-248, Fax: 593-2-506-255
Jos Gualinga, 32 Rue Oupny, 4987 Chevron, Belgium, Tel:
32-86-434-162
Froian Viteri, o/ Campomanes No. 13, 2nd, 28013 Madrid, Spain,
Tel: 34-1-541-10-71, Fax: 34-1-559-78-97
SAIIC, PO Box 28703, Oakland, CA 94604, Tel: 510-834-4263, Fax:
510-834-4264
RAN, Oil Campaign, 450 Sansome, Suite 700, San Francisco, CA
94111, Tel: 415-398-4404, Fax: 415-398-2732
6. ItUs very important to publicize the march as much as possible.
OPIP will provide you with photos, articles, and film of the march
for publications and television.
7. Document your activities in support of the march with photos,
articles, and film and send these to OPIP.
Please use the most rapid form of communication as possible. Thank
you.