Fifth Judge for Chevron Amazon hearing withdraws
Judge Juan Nunez has recused himself in the case which focuses around claims that Chevron has been environmentally irresponsible in Ecuador’s Amazonian rainforest. He is the fifth judge to leave the case. While he refuses to discuss the reasons he has disqualified himself from giving judgment in the case, there has been a flurry of claim and counterclaim around Chevron’s release of video in which he appears to say to members of the ruling Alianza Pais party that he will decide against Chevron, although judgment is not due to be given until October.
Chevron further alleges Nunez was to be given a $15 million ‘commission’ by the party, for deciding against the oil company. Judge Nunez says the video was manipulated – Chevron say it was not and that they will bring a counter-case against him for corruption.
$27 billion at stake
The claims run from 1964-1990, and are aimed at Texaco, who operated the Ecuadorian oil extraction plants until Chevron bought them in 2001. They have been brought by a number of tribes and indigenous communities in the region, who say that they hope to win costs of up to $27 billion and that they will pursue payment up to and including seizing Chevron assets in the USA.
President Correa has been outspoken in his condemnation of the oil companies who won contracts in his country before his election and many of them are reconsidering their relationship with Ecuador in light of his comments that Texaco were guilty of ‘crimes against humanity’.
No international court for the environment
However there are wider tensions around the relationship between oil companies and the countries in which their extraction operations are based and because there is no international environmental court, and because the International Court of Justice can only adjudicate between states, not between states and corporate entities, such tensions are not amendable to international law. While one side claims that companies are always looking for new regions to exploit simply because they do not have to pay the full cost of their environmental depredations, the companies point to the infrastructure development and jobs that result from their presence.
Meantime, if Judge Nunez is allowed to recuse, a sixth judge will have to be found.
Amazonian tree by 88rabbit at Flickr under a creative commons licence
Those tapes were fabricated to delay the ruling but Chevron did such a lousy job that it looks like it’s going to backfire. Even Chevron’s translation is inaccurate. The judge said there are formalities related to the appeal, not that the appeal was only a formality as Chevron translated it. The judge recused himself so the case can move on even though nowhere in the tapes did he really accept the bribe; which by the way was not mentioned until Chevron found out these two men were taping the officials.
Scientific evidence has proven the case against Chevron and I hope none of those dirty tricks will work and Chevron will be held responsible.
For more info, see http://www.chevrontoxico.com
I’ve just watched the trailer for Crude, a new documentary that looks incredible by Joe Berlinger (on crudethemovie.com) about this $27 billion lawsuit. It gave me chills! It comes out in theaters this week and is all about this issue. Don’t you find it strange that Chevron is dropping this bomb now at the same time this doc is hitting theaters? Hmmmm…..
Let’s take a look at all the lies Amazon Defense Coalition’s pr firm has been spewing. Google “Hinton Communications” and you will find plenty of folks who have written articles exposing Karen Hinton’s lies.
Also check out: http://hintoncommunicationswatchact.wordpress.com/
And for real news about the Chevron Ecuador lawsuit, check out: http://amazondefensecoalition.wordpress.com/