If you plugged into the news last weekend, you may have seen that there was something of a revolution in Ecuador. The president, Jamil Mahuad, was ousted and the vice president, Gustavo Noaboa Bejarano, was installed in his place by the military. Didn’t seem like much a of big deal in the U.S. news media, just a bit of political heartburn in South America. Two weeks from now, George W. won’t remember the name of either the old or new Ecuadoran president.
But this isn’t CNN, so let’s dig a bit deeper. Most of the stories noted the rebellion began with disgruntled indigenous people. Ecuador is in the midst of an economic crisis and both the fiscal crisis and Mr. Mahuad’s solutions to it were exacting a heavy toll from the native population. The revolution turned serious when the military joined in and the indigenous protestors found themselves quickly pushed aside by the army. The natives are no happier with Mr. Noaboa than they were with Mr. Mahuad, but the guys with the guns were calling the shots.
Back in Washington, the State Department officially deplored the semi-revolution, but the foreign-policy pundits were glad to see some sort of order imposed, because of fears of “regional unrest.”
“Regional unrest,” indeed. The story you didn’t see in the news over the weekend goes to the heart of South America’s “regional unrest.” Across the Ecuadoran border, in Colombia, the indigenous people are not happy with their government, either. On a broad scale, the reason is the same: Colombia’s plans for economic development fail to benefit native people.
The particular native people I have in mind are the U’wa people, whose ancestral lands sit on oil-rich territory. In a scenario that has been often repeated up and down the Americas, the oil company – in this case Occidental Petroleum – wants to move the native people out and the oil rigs in.
The U’wa have seen this played out too often and said no drilling, no way, get off our land. The U’wa have threatened mass suicide rather than submit to the slow cultural death that comes with oil exploitation.
On the 19th of January, 5,000 heavily-armed Colombian soldiers began moving into U’wa territory, and seem intent on forcing oil development. The U’wa people may indeed be giving their lives to defend their territory.
This is the “regional unrest” the Beltway types in DC are so afraid of. From the Arctic Circle to Tierra del Fuego, indigenous peoples are becoming politically sophisticated. They’re sick of being ripped off and they’re using faxes and modems to get their stories out.
But – as my old managing editor used to ask – is it news? You decide. As I said, Occidental Petroleum is the oil company on whose behalf Colombia is sending in the army. And according to the Financial Times, guess who owns between $250,000 and $500,000 worth of Occidental stock? Guess who’s father was on the Occidental board of directors? George W. Bush? Wrong! It’s Vice President Al Gore. The man who wants to be your environmental president, the man who wants to save the world from global warming, is sitting on 500 large worth of Occidental Petroleum stock and if the U’wa people get gunned down by the Colombian army so Oxy can plant oil rigs on their homeland, who stands to make a profit? Al Gore.
Is that news? No, it’s not, according to the five companies that control most U.S. media.
But remember those faxes and modems – and don’t forget to use your own.
But Is It News?
If you plugged into the news last weekend, you may have seen that there was something of a revolution in Ecuador. The president, Jamil Mahuad, was ousted and the vice president, Gustavo Noaboa Bejarano, was installed in his place by the military. Didn’t seem like much a of big deal in the U.S. news media, just a bit of political heartburn in South America. Two weeks from now, George W. won’t remember the name of either the old or new Ecuadoran president.
But this isn’t CNN, so let’s dig a bit deeper. Most of the stories noted the rebellion began with disgruntled indigenous people. Ecuador is in the midst of an economic crisis and both the fiscal crisis and Mr. Mahuad’s solutions to it were exacting a heavy toll from the native population. The revolution turned serious when the military joined in and the indigenous protestors found themselves quickly pushed aside by the army. The natives are no happier with Mr. Noaboa than they were with Mr. Mahuad, but the guys with the guns were calling the shots.
Back in Washington, the State Department officially deplored the semi-revolution, but the foreign-policy pundits were glad to see some sort of order imposed, because of fears of “regional unrest.”
“Regional unrest,” indeed. The story you didn’t see in the news over the weekend goes to the heart of South America’s “regional unrest.” Across the Ecuadoran border, in Colombia, the indigenous people are not happy with their government, either. On a broad scale, the reason is the same: Colombia’s plans for economic development fail to benefit native people.
The particular native people I have in mind are the U’wa people, whose ancestral lands sit on oil-rich territory. In a scenario that has been often repeated up and down the Americas, the oil company – in this case Occidental Petroleum – wants to move the native people out and the oil rigs in.
The U’wa have seen this played out too often and said no drilling, no way, get off our land. The U’wa have threatened mass suicide rather than submit to the slow cultural death that comes with oil exploitation.
On the 19th of January, 5,000 heavily-armed Colombian soldiers began moving into U’wa territory, and seem intent on forcing oil development. The U’wa people may indeed be giving their lives to defend their territory.
This is the “regional unrest” the Beltway types in DC are so afraid of. From the Arctic Circle to Tierra del Fuego, indigenous peoples are becoming politically sophisticated. They’re sick of being ripped off and they’re using faxes and modems to get their stories out.
But – as my old managing editor used to ask – is it news? You decide. As I said, Occidental Petroleum is the oil company on whose behalf Colombia is sending in the army. And according to the Financial Times, guess who owns between $250,000 and $500,000 worth of Occidental stock? Guess who’s father was on the Occidental board of directors? George W. Bush? Wrong! It’s Vice President Al Gore. The man who wants to be your environmental president, the man who wants to save the world from global warming, is sitting on 500 large worth of Occidental Petroleum stock and if the U’wa people get gunned down by the Colombian army so Oxy can plant oil rigs on their homeland, who stands to make a profit? Al Gore.
Is that news? No, it’s not, according to the five companies that control most U.S. media.
But remember those faxes and modems – and don’t forget to use your own.