“Oil extraction threatens to expand further into Ecuadorean rainforest under new 20-year contract” 3 February 2016

The Ecuadorian government has signed two contracts with the China-based Andes Petroleum consortium [part of Sinopec], to work on the oil blocks known as 79 and 83; blocks that overlap with the territory of the Sápara indigenous people… There is fear that oil exploitation will lead to widespread soil, groundwater, and surface stream contamination… The government claims to have organized a free, prior and informed consultation, but critics disagree… The Sápara say they are ready to… bring their case to national and international courts in order to avoid the drilling… “Without these elements we cannot say we are Sápara because our knowledge, our language, our history are spoken through these elements we have in our territory”