Ecuadorian Amazon: The current situation of the Huaorani’s struggle

One of the most pressing issues in recent years for the world but also for the Huaorani people has been the struggle for the conservation of the Amazon rainforest and the communities that inhabit it. However, the advancement of oil, mining, and other extractive activities has gradually worsened the situation of this vital lung of the planet. Approximately a month ago, we spoke with the leader of the Bameno community, located on the banks of the Cononaco River. The Bameno community is deep within Yasuni National Park. 

We asked Penti to inform us on the current situation of the community and the world’s most biodiverse nature reserve. Penti (the community’s historic leader) told us they are currently working on creating a map that describes what is happening in the intangible zone and the national park.

Penti wants to demonstrate how the park really looks today. It is not an easy task, but it’s important that we know the true dimension of oil blocks, the current location of active drilling sites on the reserve. Through this work we can see it absolutely contrasts with what the government and non-governmental organizations publish, specially where oil concessions overlap protected areas. For years, the information was heavily manipulated: It showed the public a map of protected natural areas that included the Yasuni National Park as a completely protected zone, without any report of activities already being carried out within the park. Currently, the satellite photographs clearly show how the presence of oil fields has affected the park including road construction, not through ecological trails as they promised.

Additionally, it should be noted that oil field operations located in the north of the park, such as block 16 and 31, have increased their operational range and have been the subject of struggle and discussion among park inhabitants for years due to the damage they have caused. 

Most recently, the most well-known case is the ITT (Ishpingo Tambococha Tiputini), which ex-president Correa tried to sell as a unique project in contemporary history where Ecuador would be the first country to leave oil underground¹ . Sadly, it ended up being just another exploited zone within the protected area.

When consulting Penti about this reality, he tells us that mining, oil, and logging companies are already operating within the park, and for now, the conservation remains only a rhetoric with no following in actions. In the southern zone of the park that borders the Curaray River, several exploitation licenses have been approved in addition to those previously mentioned. This is why the community sees the creation of the map as essential. It will show how the national park really looks. They consider themselves the only ones who have carried out true conservation and protection, but at the same time have no guarantee that extractive activity will not continue further within their territories.

Likewise, he believes that many organizations or public entities are talking about park conservation and protection of uncontacted peoples without any concrete actions, especially the current Women and Human Rights Department and its Undersecretariat for the Protection of Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation. According to Penti, it only watches what is happening from afar and it does not consider the Huaoranis of Cononaco with the same rights as isolated peoples. The Department still confirm that they think the national park belongs to the Ecuadorian state and therefore, they have right over the resources. It may correspond to a country’s need to obtain resources, but not when the constitution prohibits extraction within protected reserves and was also ratified in the 2023 popular consultation² .

The Bameno community has been the spokesperson for uncontacted peoples and Huaorani communities living within the national park and intangible zone for several decades, and for its conservation. However, there are some state agencies and other organizations - foundations that travel the world talking about the Yasuni conservation and its people and have only spread half-truths, using the image of the Bameno inhabitants in most cases. Resources are already being exploited well within the park, and the community is working very hard to show the reality. They are creating a commitment signature with other communities and institutions that want to support the initiative and want to speak out. However, they would like to reach international awareness, that people around the world understand the situation if they want to collaborate with conservation.

Currently, an organization known as NAWE (Waorani Nationality of Ecuador), whose members mostly belong to communities living alongside oil fields wants and have requested that the government recognize the intangible zone and a large part of Yasuni National Park under the exclusive management of this organization. 

Logically, when we do a simple analysis, the first idea is that it is a good thing that part of the Huaorani population would be in charge. However, we asked Penti for his point of view, because he and his community live inside the park and knows how this association is managed. He tells us they are completely opposed to it, since they would be the ones deciding or imposing their regulations on the territory. Unfortunately, these types of organizations and foundations promote this image with the world. When analyzing the NAWE organization, its current president is very involved in politics, so they do not seek the same interests as the communities. Penti has fought for them to be considered as the original owners of the land, they have distanced themselves from this organization and have filed complaints with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.  They have asked that the only thing they would like is to be able to work with controlled tourism and have the right to self-determination. 

The Huaoranis only want to live as they always have, and do not consider normal that an external organization can take control over their lives. The only thing they have asked for, is support to let them live, but they are aware that now everything could change if there were any change in national park management and they would possibly have to make mandatory payments to the government or those organizations as it already happened in the past to other Huaorani and non-Huaorani communities. In fact, one of the most significant examples of this case began in 2013 when the government proposed creating a “millennium community” within the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve in the northeastern Ecuadorian Amazon. The plan featured cement houses with metal roofs, vehicle roads, internet, induction stoves, telephones, and some basic services. A cement dream in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. Today, these communities are struggling with maintenance. The houses are ill-suited to the local climate and humidity, residents cannot afford basic services, and other amenities like internet equipment have been lost due to neglect. All of this proved incompatible with the traditional lifestyles of the Cofán and Kichwa communities. The only tangible outcome was the establishment of an oil exploitation model within the park, with these “development works” ostensibly justifying the benefits for local communities

There is a very important part of the Huaorani history that must be highlighted: they would still be living there, if Penti’s parents and other elders of the Bameno community had not killed the oil workers, settlers, loggers, and others groups that tried to exploit the area back in the 1970s. It was the only option they had to keep the area free so that future generations could inhabit it.

Currently, various groups such as CONAIE (Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador) and NAWE itself pressure several leaders. Their goal?  That they do not continue to bring irregularities to the light. However, the Huaoranis of Bameno have had to face various problems, especially those connected to the Taromenane and Tagaeri peoples (uncontacted groups).  In 2013 and in 2023 there were murders of uncontacted people, which has left the Huaorani living inside the park in a complex and dangerous situation where they could suffer attacks from the uncontacted groups. Why? Because they don’t know exactly who is responsible for the murders of their people, and such find revenge with other people.

Meetings have been held between these organizations - NAWE, CONAIE, Environment department, Women’s Secretariat - to which the Bameno community and none of its representatives have ever been invited. Therefore, Huaorani inhabitants within the park demand the right to self-determination, but so far, no government has provided these guarantees

The community has thought about publishing a book so people can learn more about their history; however, they have had other experiences with other publications that, although they have used their image, they have never received any benefit. 

Many times, donors have come to visit the community and confirm their existence, and although they left very happy, this does not generate enough resources to reach others or translate into projects for the benefit of the Huaorani. Currently, there are books circulating that talk a lot about the current situation of the park and are distributed by influential and famous people, but for now it has remained only in speeches and makes no change.

Contamination: Animals, environment and people in danger

The community is considering carrying out a project with funds they expect to receive from Will Smith’s documentary, and although there is much to do, what they would most like to focus on is the contamination of the river and its effects on animal health and understandably on the inhabitants. We have witnessed during our visits and the projects that we have carried out, dead animals from poisoning, especially large fish, due to several oil spills in the upper part of the Shiripuno River, near the Auca-Cononaco highway. This sector is one of the most affected due to the highway that crosses this area and all the settlements around it. Many oil fields are located here and several pipelines cross the jungle alongside this road.

There have been several spills that directly affected the intangible zone and the rivers within Yasuni National Park. Two spills in the Shiripuno River, in Tiguino and Tivacuno, have contaminated several streams and areas where there is presence of uncontacted peoples. This is why we see it necessary for the community to obtain funds to conduct more concrete studies and propose remediation with involved and passionate people.

Regarding conservation, electric motors were previously proposed to reduce fuel impact on rivers they frequently navigate, but it would take an extensive time to see viability and implementation. From government entities, there is still no information on this matter.

It could be concluded after the conversation with Penti that the community’s situation has worsened significantly in recent years. Although they occasionally received help on a particular matter, such as a dental doctor who goes there three times a year, a past tourist who became involved in the community’s reality. Current diet has rapidly deteriorated dental health due to sugar consumption, which was not traditionally known. The use of forest seeds were the only toothpastes that worked in preventing cavities.
Bottled water is currently consumed, which is causing various environmental damages due to the amount of plastic entering. While they remove most plastic waste via the river to Coca city, this is not enough. In addition to the economic cost this represents in a community that has no economic income.

They use a diesel generator again, because the only solar panel is broken and no one there, has enough money to fix it.

The future of the community is still in the hands by the politicians in office, and will largely depend on the policies the Ecuadorian government takes regarding these ancestral territories, and on the need to obtain resources found underground. It is still hoped that non-governmental organizations can show interest in this biosphere reserve and the few inhabitants that remain.

illuminem Voices is a democratic space presenting the thoughts and opinions of leading Sustainability & Energy writers, their opinions do not necessarily represent those of illuminem.

References

¹  The Yasuní-ITT Initiative was a project that attempted to keep over a billion barrels of oil in the ground under the Yasuni National Park in the Ecuadorian Amazon. The initiative was launched in 2007 by Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa and offered a perpetual suspension of oil extraction from the Ishpingo-Tambococha-Tiputini oil field (ITT) in return for $3.6 billion from the international community.

²  A referendum on banning oil exploitation in the Yasuní National Park was held in Ecuador on 20 August 2023. The proposal was approved with 54.11%

³ https://elpais.com/elpais/2019/02/18/planeta_futuro/1550490754_608600.html

⁴ https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/1013-first-ever-regional-court-case-involving-rights-of-uncontacted-peoples-awaits-verdict

⁵ The most recent case occurred just two weeks ago with the approval of the 'Urgent Project for Strengthening Protected Areas.' According to the document, 12 assembly members and individuals from various sectors participated in the decision-making debate – yet not a single representative from indigenous communities or organizations was present. Only public officials and former officials representing tourism companies attended. This constitutes yet another unconstitutional act. Based on the document's interpretation, it's anticipated that the project could lead to the privatization of certain sectors within protected areas.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZC_OOV5Olyfs8hAZ3tgx0v7iW57Ijze9/view

⁶  https://www.nationalgeographic.com/pages/topic/welcome-to-earth