In the wake of reports of renewed oil exploration on U’wa lands in Colombia, Cultural Survival spoke with Campaign Coordinator Kevin Koenig of Amazon Watch for an update. Mr. Koenig reports that Ecopetrol has taken over the abandoned OXY drill site and has drilled further and deeper than before. In the weeks that followed this drilling, mixed reports have come from the drilling location.
A month ago Ecopetrol said that it had found a great deal of oil in the area, describing it as the biggest find in Colombia. However, two weeks after this announcement, an Ecopetrol document leaked that claimed the oil company has found no oil at all and has only been pumping water. This was a huge embarrassment in the press for Ecopetrol. A week ago Ecopetrol again claimed that there is oil at the site, and this time said that it is very high quality crude that requires little refinement. This information simply does not add up, especially since the oil was claimed to be found at 7,000 feet - OXY had drilled to 11-12,000 feet and found nothing. It remains to be seen what Ecopetrol will do with this site.
In addition to the drilling, Ecopetrol has now announced it plans to undertake more exploration and drilling in the U’wa reserve. This development poses a major threat to the U’wa people, and outright infringement of their indigenous land rights. OXY, at least, claimed that they were not drilling on U’wa land, even though this was false, as the U’wa had actually purchased the land. Now, Ecopetrol makes no claim to the land, but rather brazenly plans to drill on an acknowledged, legally titled reservel.
In the face of this blatant disregard for the law and the land rights of indigenous people, the U’wa vow to pursue peaceful resistance to oil development. They set themselves apart from the armed actors that challenge their autonomy as indigenous peoples. In an attempt to stop the actions of Ecopetrol, the U’wa are working to build an alliance with 84 other indigenous groups throughout Colombia. This alliance is known as ONIC, and is working to gain support of other indigenous peoples so communities can share information about oil companies and coordinate plans of action in response.
Ecopetrol does not currently have the money to do this project alone and will need international companies to help them finance the drilling. OXY is a possible option, but Mr. Koenig says it is hard to say how the situation will play out. Strategic planning will be necessary because Ecopetrol is owned by the Colombian government, making international relations tricky.
Mr. Koenig is currently working on a new press release detailing this information that will come out soon from Amazon Watch. For more information on the U’wa and their struggle for over a decade against oil companies, please visit Amazon Watch.
