vesterberg.se

Some weeks ago I saw a report from Ecuador made by a Swedish film team. People in the rainforest are today suffering from ruined health because of oil exploitation done in the past. Between 1970 and 1990, Texaco (now Chevron) pumped 200,000 barrels of oil a day from over 400 drilling sites in the rainforest. When they left they made a half-hearted cleanup and managed to get the government to sign a document that clearance was ok. Today there is oil in rivers and canals. There are open basins with oil that contaminates the area and because of all this; people are suffering from sicknesses. A mother was interviewed in the program; both she and her daughter had cancer.

A lawsuit has been going on for many years against Texaco. The lawyer from Chevron was interviewed and showed no understanding or concern at all. He said “We have signed a legal document. This is not our business. The tribes just want to make some money on this”. Texaco earned millions of dollars, but left the place in a mess. Now they spend money on attorneys instead of taking responsibility for their exploitation.

So Chevron has a signed, legal document that says: “we are not guilty”. In business a legal document is very real. But there is something greater than the business world, something that encompasses market economy and that is life itself. Is it enough to have a signed paper? Is a legal paper the final authority? In a fragmented world view, yes, but I would say that Texaco is still guilty in a larger perspective. To have a narrow view of the world is really dangerous. The capital has its rules, but they cannot be allowed to violate the rules of life. Seeing the whole picture is the only right perspective. We have a saying in Sweden that you shouldn’t cut off the branch you’re sitting on. How true isn’t that!

I would have loved to find some email-addresses to the fighters over there; don’t give up. Your fight for your rights has echoed all the way to Sweden. What can we do?