Life in the Oriente Region of Ecuador is full of danger, mystery and intrigue. Located along the border with Colombia in the northeast part of the country, the region is home to ancient people groups who depend largely upon the resources of the Amazon River basin for their survival. It’s home to thousands of exotic wildlife species. And, for the past 16 years, has been a home away from home for New York trial lawyer and Harvard Law School classmate of President Barack Obama, Steven R. Donziger.Since 1993, Donziger has made myriad trips from his New York City office to the oil-rich jungles of South America in search of what he must have hoped would be easy money. All he had to do was come up with a “tool” he could use to extract boatloads of cash from the deep, oil-soaked pockets of San Ramon, Calif.-based Chevron Corporation. That tool, it appears, turned out to be a lawsuit against “Big Oil.”
In a case that could be decided upon by a judge in Ecuador any day, the verdict could cost Chevron and its shareholders $27 billion.
Read all about it here.
This article misses a number of critical points. First, Texaco (now Chevron) fought for 9 years to avoid trial in the U.S. They argued that Ecuador’s courts were fair and agreed to be bound by any judgment. Now that evidence is showing its culpability, Chevron is attacking the very court process it originally praised. Second, in questioning the neutrality of the court-appointed expert, the article fails to mention that more than 25 scientific experts have reviewed the report and found its conclusions reasonable. Finally, the article’s catty remark about Mr. Donziger obscures the larger point that Chevron continues to evade taking responsibility while the humanitarian crisis worsens. This is hardly a construct of the American lawyers, who are funding the lawsuit. We should not lose sight of the fact that Chevron has done nothing to offer relief to local residents. As such, their conduct represents a stunning violation of social responsibility.
ReplyDeleteIt’s my understanding that the court requires payment from the plaintiffs and defendants when they ask that tests will taken to determine contamination of the soil and water in the lawsuit. This payment is for those tests. Chevron recently requested eight additional tests and, as a result, Chevron will have to pay the court for these tests. This blog is an example of irresponsible commentary, making a simple process into some big conspiracy. This blogger is pro-Chevron and is searching for anything to repair Chevron’s damaged reputation.
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