EARTHKEEPING NEWS A NEWSLETTER OF THE NORTH AMERICAN COALITION FOR CHRISTIANITY AND ECOLOGY Volume Nine, Number Five July/August 2000 HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES MULTIPLY IN GLOBAL SCRAMBLE FOR ENERGY Oil Spill Threatens Tribe in Bolivia Transredes, an oil company owned by US Enron and Dutch Shell, is responsible for dumping 39,000 barrels of crude oil into Bolivia's Lake Poopo on February 3 this year. To date the oil has not been adequately cleaned up. The Uru Morato, a 5,000 year old native group,which lives by hunting lake birds and fish, are at risk. For more than three months since the oil spill, the 600 member group has not seen a single fish or bird on their lake. They are in danger of starvation. When for the first time in thousands of years, the flamingos did not return to lay their eggs alongside Lake Poopo, the Uru Morato realized that their situation was a permanent one. They took action by marching 135 kilometers to the city of Oruro to meet with Transredes oil company's representatives and Bolivian authorities. Transredes refused to recognize damages and the Urus were forced to return defeated to their lakeside communities. Today they wait alone without resources, or communication. "What we have here is truly a crisis. The Uru Morato survived the invasion of the Aymara, Inca, and Spanish colonists, but globalization is what will kill them." explained group member and international journalist, Tamara Stenn de Choque, who met with the Uru Morato in April. Friends of Poopo is seeking help with the development of a website chat group, e-mail data base, and outreach especially to environmental experts. For more information contact Friends of Poopo at: (802)258-3421, or email: friendsofpoopo@yahoo.com. Home     Table of Contents