LOBBYING

A $16 Billion Problem

Chevron hires lobbyists to squeeze Ecuador in toxic-dumping case. What an Obama win could mean.

By Michael Isikoff | NEWSWEEK

Published Jul 26, 2008

From the magazine issue dated Aug 4, 2008

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Posted By: PAMELAJEAN @ 11/03/2008 10:28:55 AM

Comment: HELP.. TEXACO/CHEVRON HAD 3 CONTAMINATED TANKS ON MY PROPERTY IN SYRACUSE NY I HAD IT CLEANED UP AUG 2008 FOR $31,000.00 TO SELL MY PROPERTY BUT THEY CLAIM THEY WILL NOT PAY AFTER WAITING 4 MONTHS WITH NO VALID REASON. I STILL CAN NOT GET THE ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT UNTIL THIS IS PAID TO CLOSE ON MY PROPERTY. MY BUSINESS SITS NEXT TO 2 SCHOOLS AND A CHURCH CAN SOMEONE GIVE ME CONTACT INFO ON STATE REPRESENTATIVES THAT WERE INVOLVED FIGHTING CHEVRON ON THE ECUADOR TEXACO/CHEVRON CASE. THEY ARE WASHING THEIR HANDS OF 3RD WORLD COUNTRIES AND ALSO IN THE STATES. I WOULD LIKE A CLASS ACTION SUIT TO FORM SO PLEASE REPLY IF ANYONE ELSE HAD A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE. IF THEIR IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ATTORNEY OUT THERE PLEASE CONTACT ME ASAP. I JUST READ CHEVRON REVENUE SHOT UP 43% TO 78.87 BILLION! THE HEAD OF THE COMPANY EARNED $7.89 BILLION IN THE 3RD QUARTER MORE THAN DOUBLE THE $3.72 BILLION PROFIT OF A YEAR EARLIER! I AM BEGGING BUSINESS OWNERS WHO WERE WRONGED BY THIS COMPANY TO STEP UP AND UNITE WITH ME!
Posted By: nomoreoil @ 09/19/2008 10:35:48 AM

Comment: They are doing the same to thing in Alaska, with Palin and McCain looking on. Im ashamed of Trent Lott and the rest of America for allowing this to happen!
Posted By: Playin Possum @ 08/16/2008 1:38:31 PM

Comment: "We can't let little countries screw around with big companies like this"

The bastard should be killed.

And frankly this is one of a number of situations worldwide where I think terrorism is entirely justified. These corpo-pigs should be burned out.
Posted By: Mari Posa @ 08/08/2008 11:29:17 AM

Comment: Thank you Newsweek for this very important news story. It is extremely important even without the ties to current Presidential candidates; but would we have heard about it? 5 years is a long time... I agree with Miranda102 that this is a crime against humanity , all of us! All in the name of profit, and conveniently unreported to the shareholders.
Posted By: The Iconclast @ 08/07/2008 4:18:39 PM

Comment: would satellite photos from space confirm the fact that Chevron did in fact dump the wastes into the streams.?? just a thought
Posted By: The Iconclast @ 08/07/2008 4:14:20 PM

Comment: would sattellite photos from space verify that there is evidence that the dumping has occurred??
Posted By: miranda102 @ 08/06/2008 2:38:26 AM

Comment: SHAMEFUL!! How can a company ostensibly based in CA, claim ignorance of environmental needs of proper stewardship? This is in my view a crime against humanity - and not just to those Ecuadorian citizens - but considering the importance of the Amazon basin to the planet, it is a crime against all of us. And this is one of the companies being proposed to "drill more" in the US??!! They MUST be required to clean up what can be cleaned.
Posted By: randel101 @ 08/05/2008 8:06:41 PM

Comment: This sounds like a political hot potato that any responsible politician would distance themselves from and let the courts and evidence play out. We all know that the robber barons are alive and well today and they have little or no conscience when it comes to respecting the welfare and rights of anyone other than the corporate structure and its shareholders. I have witnessed first hand the disregard for people???s safety and wellbeing because the added effort and cost would adversely affect the bottom line. This is part of the reasons big oil keeps going to remote underdeveloped countries. The profits are greater because they are not as regulated and not held as responsible for their negative environmental impact. In other words they can pollute and destroy without repercussions.
Well, I???m sorry but I think the cat is out of the bag and Chevron has been caught with their hand in the cookie jar. Face it; they go into these areas with full knowledge of the risk and full knowledge of how to minimize environmental impact. They cut corners and ignore their damaging impact on the people and environment all in the name of profit. I personally think the case probably has merit and Chevron desperately grabbing at straws to save their ass.
I say keep the US government out of it and let the Ecuadoran courts prevail. Take your lumps Chevron if you are found guilty it???s probably because you are.
Posted By: saycricket @ 08/05/2008 9:59:18 AM

Comment: If you want to run a business of this caliber, you should be able to pay the consequences. If you're not able to pay the consequences, get out of business. Stop whining and crying and do your duty to make things RIGHT with Ecuador and the Earth!
Posted By: upstream dream @ 08/04/2008 1:38:13 PM

Comment: Manuel: Funny thing. Your comments are almost verbatim from Chevron's comments during several on air interviews in the U.S. Do you work for Chevron? If so, you should know that Chevron argued for 10 years that this case be sent to Ecuador, insisting in brief after brief after brief that the courts were transparent and independent. Now that the evidence is in, with Chevron's own samples proving extreme levels of contamination, the company is crying foul. Chevron's plot to drag this case on for years to come couldn't be more obvious. Meanwhile, the real victims-- thousands of rainforest indigenous peoples and farmers--continue to suffer.

But let me get this straight. The Ecuador judge is bought off by the government because....he has actually made rulings against Chevron? Or denied Chevron petitions? He has done the same routinely against the plaintiffs. Maybe the oil giant is too used to always getting its way. That doesn't mean the court is corrupt. It means the evidence against Chevron is overwhelming. The problem for Chevron is that this case DOES have merit, which is why it has never been dismissed. Chevron thought it could get the case sent to Ecuador, where it would have the same kind of influence it did back in the 1970s when it practically ran the country. Unfortunately for Chevron, its previous legal briefs were correct. The Ecuadorian courts ARE proving themselves to be independent, showing integrity and transparency. Justice is finally prevailing, and Chevron's only recourse is to portray themselves as the victims. Not only is this insulting to the true victims in this case, it's contradicted by the preponderance of the evidence.

Instead of doing what's right and cleaning up its mess, and providing health care and clean drinking water to residents, Chevron has chosen to throw millions at lawyers, PR, and now as we learn, high paid lobbyists. Yet another bad decision from senior management. It's also hard not to conclude that, in the face of human rights problems on four continents, Chevron's hiring of known architect of torture for the Defense Department William Haynes, was done in fact to help the company manage it's growing legal and PR crises over abuses by the company around the globe.

In terms of Petroecuador, no one believes the company is a friend to the environment. But remember that the company inherited all of Texaco's cheap and crumbling infrastructure. And, according to internal memos from the 1970s, Texaco prohibited the recording and reporting of any oil spills, unless the spill was determined to be a "major event" that "attracted the attention of press and/or regulatory authorities." Blaming Petroecuador, who is close to achieving 100% re-injection of produced waters, is nothing but a smoke and mirrors strategy to evade responsibility.

Manuel, you might want to ask your higher ups why they can't seem to abide by the classic proverb: when in a hole, stop digging.
Posted By: Grahamerion @ 08/04/2008 11:29:01 AM

Comment: Manual Vega: The only person trying to "buy off justice" in Ecuador is Chevron, and they've been doing this since the case was first filed. Look back at the record my friend and you will see that on the first day of the trial Chevron was pressuring the Attorney General to drop the case. This extra-judicial strategy to pressure the government - financially or otherwise - has been rigorously pursued by Chevron since Day 1 in both Ecuador and the United States. Furthermore, if this case is indeed ???fixed,??? why has Chevron been able to drag it out for 5 years and counting? Why have they been granted numerous requests by the judge in the trial over the objections of the plaintiffs? Indeed the court in Ecuador has bent over backwards to grant Chevron due process in this trial. In return, Chevron has only attacked the court calling it ???illegitimate??? and ???a charade.???

In terms of an ???unholy alliance??? between the lawyers, government, and Petroecuador, you might want to review the court-appointed expert???s report on this issue (available here: http://chevrontoxico.com/) and read about how Chevron is the one liable for digging the unlined toxic pits, dumping the toxic waste, and building the leaky pipelines. Whether or not Petroecuador operated this equipment decades after the massive contamination had already been caused by the American oil company, does not change the issue of liability. It???s called legal principles, my friend, not a conspiracy (and on this point, the law is the same in America as it is in Ecuador.)

You???re welcome to believe Chevron???s corporate spin on this case if you want, Manual, but if you???re interested in an informed opinion, you might want to look a bit deeper. Check out the website above as well as www.texacotoxico.com for a more accurate portrait of this case.
Posted By: Manuel Vega @ 08/03/2008 9:52:34 PM

Comment: It's seems easy for some of the writers below to talk about the "sham" clean up. But what abut the sham court system in Ecuador: the judge seems to be bought off by the government and the American attorneys for so called environmental groups. It seems a foregone conclusion that the case is fixed. What kind of justice is this for anyone? It's not a good or fair system for Ecuadorians or for Chevron.
Posted By: Manuel Vega @ 08/03/2008 8:48:30 PM

Comment: I am not a fan of oil company's but more and more it looks like Chevron may be telling the truth. It is hard to believe the corrupt practices of the current regime in Ecuador and the mess they have made with Petroecuador. I think what their lobbyist said is wrong, but why isn't anyone looking at what Danziger is trying to do? An unholy alliance between the government of Ecuador, Danziger and Petroecuador could be a cover up for their own misdeeds.
Posted By: rubythroatedhummingbird0 @ 08/02/2008 8:07:58 AM

Comment: It is telllng that a Chervon lobbyist views being ordered to clean up their mess as being "screw(ed) around". This is another manifestation of the "ugly American" heavy handedness that the next administration will have to rectify. For the sake of decency, I call on both the McCain and Obama campaigns to take a strong pro-family stand to require Chevron to stick by its obligations.
Posted By: Grahamerion @ 08/01/2008 9:12:39 PM

Comment: Chevron Misrepresentation: The state has since sought to renege on its agreements with Texaco Petroleum and openly collaborated with the plaintiffs. The current administration has gone so far as to pledge the full support of the government in making the plaintiffs??? case.
Fact: Actually, it is Chevron that on several occasions tried ??? in clear violation of the rule of law -- to convince the current government of Ecuador to stop the trial and thereby quash the legal rights of thousands of vulnerable indigenous people. The current government repeatedly has refused Chevron???s requests that it intervene in the trial on Chevron???s behalf. Chevron???s agreement with the government is irrelevant to the lawsuit, which was brought by private parties pressing their own legal claims; the ???release??? Chevron received for its so-called remediation specifically did not cover private claims. Chevron continually refuses to respect the legal process ??? it has filed dozens of motions to delay the proceedings, tried to manipulate site inspections, used Ecuadorian army soldiers to intimidate indigenous plaintiffs, and failed to condemn death threats against members of the plaintiff???s legal team.
Chevron misrepresentation: In Ecuador, where the International Bar Association has concluded that ???there is a serious politicization of the judiciary??? and ???that in many cases no effective independence exists,??? such pronouncements have a profound effect on a trial.
Fact: It is Chevron that has abused and tried to politicize the judicial process. Several international organizations, including the United Nations and Organization of American States, have praised the independence of Ecuador???s judiciary since it was partially reorganized two years ago. Chevron itself submitted ten expert affidavits before three U.S. courts praising the fairness and independence of the Ecuadorian judiciary to move the litigation to Ecuador after the case was filed in 1993. Now that Chevron faces a massive liability, it is trying to discredit the courts it previously praised. The quote above refers to an effort years ago by President Lucio Gutierrez to disband the Supreme Court; this action resulted in his resignation from office and the reconstitution of the court using selection methods that were internationally praised.
Chevron misrepresentation: The Republic of Ecuador???s failure to honor its contractual and legal obligations related to Texaco Petroleum???s past activities in Ecuador is contrary to the spirit and letter of the trade preferences granted to Ecuador under U.S. law.
Fact: Actually, it is Chevron that violated the provision of its operating contract that required it to conduct its oil field operations in a manner that would not contaminate soils or water. Ecuador has respected Chevron???s investment in the Amazon and has abided by the release it provided the company after its sham remediation.
Posted By: Grahamerion @ 08/01/2008 9:12:08 PM

Comment: Chevron Misrepresentation: Nor did [the Newsweek article] state that in 15 years of litigation, the lawyers have never substantiated their clients??? health claims. Tellingly, in a related case brought in San Francisco by one of the lawyers behind the Ecuador case, the federal judge found that health claims had been fabricated and, in addition to dismissing the claims, fined the lawyers involved.
Fact: The lawsuit in Ecuador has nothing to do with health claims. Chevron is being sued for environmental damage only. Still, the evidence in the court case includes five peer-reviewed academic studies that show elevated rates of leukemia and other cancers in the area where Chevron operated. Chevron has never conducted a single health evaluation of the area where it operated in Ecuador despite overwhelming evidence of severe health problems. A special master appointed by the Ecuador court recently found 428 excess deaths in the region due to oil contamination; this figure is a gross underestimation because most people who get sick have no funds to see a doctor which is required to enter the national cancer registry. The San Francisco case that was dismissed is completely unrelated to the Ecuador case where Chevron faces the $16 billion liability.

Chevron Misrepresentation: Texaco Petroleum, which Chevron acquired in 2001, performed a $40 million environmental remediation and public works program upon the conclusion of its role in Ecuador. The remediation work was certified and approved by the Republic of Ecuador and scientifically validated by Ecuadorian university laboratories.
Fact: If Chevron really believes they carried out a proper remediation Ecuador, they might want to explain a) why Ricardo Reis Vega, Vice-President of Chevron???s Latin American Legal Dept. is currently under criminal investigation in Ecuador for alleged fraudulent activities associated his orchestration of this so-called ???remediation???; and b) why the independent, court-appointed expert in the Ecuador trial found ???In fact, the level of petroleum contamination in the pits that were cleaned up by Texpet [Texaco Petroleum Co.] appears to be no lower than the contamination in pits that Texpet did not clean up.??? The reality is that Chevron???s ???remediated??? sites often contain toxins at hundreds and even thousands of times over legal norms, as confirmed by Chevron itself in reports it has submitted to the court. The Chevron remediation was a sham.
Posted By: Grahamerion @ 08/01/2008 9:10:57 PM

Comment: Chevron???s blog posting is yet another example of the desperate effort by the company to misrepresent facts to hide its litigation risk in Ecuador from shareholders and the public markets. As one can see from the facts below, Chevron is a rogue company in Ecuador that violates the rule of law and operates outside the boundaries of basic human decency. Here are Chevron???s misrepresentations in its blog posting.
Chevron Mispresentation: Chevron has disclosed the case to shareholders in five consecutive proxy statements, discussed it at five annual stockholder meetings, developed a corporate website specific to the case (http://www.texaco.com/ecuador) and issued numerous news releases on the matter. The writer???s statement that this year???s court report ???forced the company for the first time to disclose the issue to shareholders??? is wrong.
Fact: Actually, Chevron misrepresents the law in this statement. Web sites, press releases, and proxy statements do not constitute proper disclosure under U.S. securities law. The only way to properly disclose Chevron???s massive liability in Ecuador is in an Annual Report or a Quarterly Report which Chevron did for the first time in May of this year. Newsweek???s statement was accurate.
Chevron Misrepresentation: Significantly, the [Newsweek] article does not state that Petroecuador ??? the government owned oil company ??? has exclusively operated the oil fields in the Amazon for the last 18 years (readers may note that the photo accompanying this article is of a Petroecuador facility, as evidenced by the Petroecuador sign on the right side of the image).
Fact: Again, Chevron is wrong. The photo in the domestic edition of Newsweek was taken at the Guanta separation station, which was built by Texaco (now Chevron) in 1986 when Texaco was the exclusive operator of the oil fields in Ecuador. Texaco gouged roughly 1,000 of these unlined pits out of the jungle floor in violation of the law and industry standards; this particular pit, while today operated by Petroecuador, continues to leech toxins into the surrounding soils and groundwater because of Texaco???s original design. The photo accompanying the article on the Newsweek website is of Lago Agrio 1, the first well that Texaco built in 1967 in the middle of the ancestral territory of the Cofan tribe. It was Texaco that exclusively dumped 18.5 billion gallons of toxic waste into the Amazon, and it was Texaco that built hundreds of oil production facilities that were designed to contaminate to lower production costs. Petroecuador???s subsequent use of Texaco???s infrastructure in no way absolves Chevron of responsibility for the contamination it caused during the time of its operation, nor the contamination caused subsequently by Petroecuador using Texaco???s original flawed system.
Posted By: badhatharry @ 08/01/2008 7:49:17 PM

Comment: I've read other articles on this topic where it has been stated that along with Wayne Berman and former Senators Lott and Breaux, former Clinton White House Chief of Staff, Mac McLarty is part of the Chevron lobbyists. Is this true? Also, given that the U.S. military must vacate its base in the Ecuadorian city of Manta once its lease expires next year, will that not affect the outcome of the pending trade agreement? On a personal note, I am for removing our military presence everywhere and want fair trade with much attention on human rights issues. It was clear then as it is now, why Senator Trent Lott left the Senate before his term was up; the chickens come home to roost.
Posted By: rrchemo @ 08/01/2008 2:55:59 PM

Comment: According to Chevron Corportation:
"In Ecuador, where the International Bar Association has concluded that ???there is a serious politicization of the judiciary??? and ???that in many cases no effective independence exists,??? such pronouncements have a profound effect on a trial."

They are not impartial in Ecuardor? Wow, that's a surprise, because we know our justice system, specially the Supreme Court is not ruled by politics. Our Federal Appeals Courts judges don't decide one way or another based on who got them there.

Chevron, just SHUT UP and take it like a big boy. 8 Billion dollars is nothing for you guys anyway when I look at your earnings. You guys had probably considered the risk of destroying the Amazon and added the cost of the fine to operating expenses that you pass on to the consumer.

Let me shed a tear for Chevron... . Sorry, I just can't.
Posted By: Chevron Corporation @ 07/31/2008 7:18:32 PM

Comment: This article contains important errors in fact and omits key points highly relevant to Chevron???s case in Ecuador.

Chevron has disclosed the case to shareholders in five consecutive proxy statements, discussed it at five annual stockholder meetings, developed a corporate website specific to the case (http://www.texaco.com/ecuador) and issued numerous news releases on the matter. The writer???s statement that this year???s court report ???forced the company for the first time to disclose the issue to shareholders??? is wrong.

Significantly, the article does not state that Petroecuador ??? the government owned oil company ??? has exclusively operated the oil fields in the Amazon for the last 18 years (readers may note that the photo accompanying this article is of a Petroecuador facility, as evidenced by the Petroecuador sign on the right side of the image). The company???s operations are publicly admitted to be mismanaged, with millions of gallons of oil spilled and no money for either upgrading its facilities or thorough remediation.

Nor did it state that in 15 years of litigation, the lawyers have never substantiated their clients??? health claims. Tellingly, in a related case brought in San Francisco by one of the lawyers behind the Ecuador case, the federal judge found that health claims had been fabricated and, in addition to dismissing the claims, fined the lawyers involved.

Fact is Texaco Petroleum, which Chevron acquired in 2001, performed a $40 million environmental remediation and public works program upon the conclusion of its role in Ecuador. The remediation work was certified and approved by the Republic of Ecuador and scientifically validated by Ecuadorian university laboratories.

The state has since sought to renege on its agreements with Texaco Petroleum and openly collaborated with the plaintiffs. The current administration has gone so far as to pledge the full support of the government in making the plaintiffs??? case.

In Ecuador, where the International Bar Association has concluded that ???there is a serious politicization of the judiciary??? and ???that in many cases no effective independence exists,??? such pronouncements have a profound effect on a trial.

The Republic of Ecuador???s failure to honor its contractual and legal obligations related to Texaco Petroleum???s past activities in Ecuador is contrary to the spirit and letter of the trade preferences granted to Ecuador under U.S. law.

Additional information on the lawsuit can be found at http://www.texaco.com/ecuador.
Posted By: ngc2359 @ 07/31/2008 12:25:33 PM

Comment: This is just unbelieveable.... Chevron says "a loss could set a dangerous precedent for other U.S. multinationals. "... what - that companies should be RESPONSIBLE?! As stated here by others: this is NOT for the US to decide. Chevron made the decision to move operations to Ecuador knowing fair-well what legal system they had and have, what laws they had... if they took advantage of the lack of regulation - then they should be responsible for cleaning up any mess they made - period. But let THEIR court decide. It would not surprise me one bit to see the Bush Admin weigh in here - in Chevron's favor... it would be par for the course for them. I am writing to whomever I can to ask that this be dealt with in the Ecuadorian courts without US pressure.
Posted By: LauraTami22 @ 07/30/2008 10:59:48 AM

Comment: What is most disturbing about this (though the quotes from the Chevron lobbyist alone are enough) is that Chevron argued for over a decade to have the case removed from US courts to Ecuador claiming that the courts there were fair and this was a matter that was predominantly foreign for the country to decide. Now that they realize that they cannot buy off the judges there and that they may be held accountable for the utter destruction of one of the most biodiverse regions in the world, they are seeking interference from our government. This should not be a political matter but should be handled by the court that Chevron fought to hear the case and to whom they agreed had jurisdiction. Country's cannot be penalized for their citizens exercising their legal rights to protect their people from horrific human rights abuses at the hands of multinational corporations. The mere fact that there is no shame in this type of action is exactly why we need a change in this country's government.
Posted By: wade_knopf @ 07/30/2008 9:49:00 AM

Comment: Our tax dollars at work. I wonder what is being ingnored while our congressman eat at lavish lunchs with the Cheveron lobbists. You can be sure it is'nt the economy, health care, or Iraq. Probaly golf scores and how to mantain Chevrons multi billion profits.
Posted By: adswitzer @ 07/30/2008 8:59:09 AM

Comment: I could barely sleep after reading this article, it made me so angry. Here is a huge corporation, making huge profits (not excessive, mind you) off of the natural resources of an undeveloped nation. And when that corporation is called upon to excercise the first signs of responsibility, they run to the big bad U.S. Government to protect them from bein gheld responsible. What possible responsibility does the U.S. Government have in this issue? It is between Chevron and Equador. The fact that Equador has a "leftist" government is irrelevent. Last I checked, President Correa was democratically elected, and here the Bush Administration is considering interfering with the democratic affairs of a foreign government. all to help a wealthy corporation avoid responsibility Tony Soprano would be pround. The gall of Chevron and the Administration is shocking. I have written to my Senators and Representative to urge them to stop U.S. interference. Whether or not Chevron is even guilty, I don't know, but it is fro Equador to decide, not the United States. If Obama wins, I give the odds of Bush interfering at 99.99% to protect his corporate buddies, assuming he doens't act in advance of that. The U.S. acting so overtly imperial in such ways are the types of things which make me extremely disappointed in our country.
- Posted By: elecuatoriano @ 09/06/2008 1:48:43 AM
  
  Comment: Please, try to do something for world justice to prevail. It is in YOUR hands. You are the citizens that are democratically represented by the government. DO SOMETHING to stop this world cruelty. Our people are dying day by day.
Posted By: lessstress @ 07/30/2008 7:43:59 AM

Comment: one more: I wouldn't be surprised if Ecuador's democratically elected president, Rafael Correa, would suddenly die in a "aircraft accident" as the CIA has done with some other democratically elected presidents in the region when they did not cooperate and took the bribes from US corporations - that is clear communism and deserves instant death.
Posted By: lessstress @ 07/30/2008 7:37:16 AM

Comment: This is just another page in the history of US behavior in South America. Full details of our shady past in that region are given in the autobiographical book "The Secret History of the American Empire" by the courageous John Perkins. Must read thriller for summer reading - unfortunately it is true and standard operating procedure for many large US companies with US embassy and CIA support.
Posted By: lessstress @ 07/30/2008 7:32:02 AM

Comment: This is just another page in the history of US behavior in South America. Full details of our shady past in that region are given in the autobiographical book "The Secret History of the American Empire" by the courageous John Perkins. Must read thriller for summer reading - unfortunately it is true.
Posted By: skepticsteve @ 07/29/2008 7:07:51 PM

Comment: Chevron's attempt to bribe US officials to illegally influence foreign policy is grounds for all Chevron's assets to be seized regardless of their guilt in the original Ecuadoran pollution case. If they are indeed guilty of illegal activities in Ecuador then any payments to victims should be made from their seized assets. Company officials who authorized any illegal activities should be prosecuted. None of this will happen of course.
Posted By: hhmassey @ 07/29/2008 5:50:18 PM

Comment: Re: "We can't let little countries screw around with big companies like this???companies that have made big investments around the world." a Chevron lobbyist.

It is the big company that is screwing the little country, not the other way around.
Posted By: Justicia @ 07/29/2008 5:06:51 PM

Comment: Chevron's arrogance is stunning -- and a warning to all those who support more oil drilling (off shore and in the ANWR). Big Oil's attitude doesn't just stop with "little countries" like Ecuador. It extends to all the "little people" who get poisoned by it's reckless disregard for humans and the environment. Look at how Exxon has strung out Alaska's citizens seeking compensation for the Valdez oil spill.
Posted By: Justicia @ 07/29/2008 5:06:31 PM

Comment: Chevron's arrogance is stunning -- and a warning to all those who support more oil drilling (off shore and in the ANWR). Big Oil's attitude doesn't just stop with "little countries" like Ecuador. It extends to all the "little people" who get poisoned by it's reckless disregard for humans and the environment. Look at how Exxon has strung out Alaska's citizens seeking compensation for the Valdez oil spill.
Posted By: jnakhoul @ 07/28/2008 2:46:36 PM

Comment: oh man it'd jump for joy if chevron has to answer for this
Posted By: archmsu @ 07/27/2008 4:58:01 PM

Comment: This is why I have regretted voting for Bush, not the Iraq war. It's because he always sides with corporations and he always bails them out when they get in trouble. Watch, he'll support Chevron, probably say something like "he's saving American jobs." Screw those Americans............they should have never worked for such a mega-corporation, a corporation that will always put profit ahead of anything else.
- Posted By: LIKEITIS @ 08/13/2008 1:32:24 PM
  
  Comment: THAT SEEMS TO BE THE "NEW DEMOCRACY"..............WHERE REPRESENTATIVES BELIEVE THAT THE CONSTITUENTS ARE SYNONIMOUS WITH BIG BUSINESS!
Posted By: RO in Reno @ 07/27/2008 12:29:57 PM

Comment: I agree with je_di76
Poisoning the water, destroying eco systems, causing serious health issues for thousands of people and other creatures so we can drive our hummer to the grocery store is a great American tradition.
A tradition dating back to the 1950's when it was noticed all the fish died in the Great Lakes, but we still drank the water.
We have to be more supportive of corporations like Chevron after all it's they who have all the money that someday will trickle down on the rest of America.
Go McCain if Bush can't stick it to a country like Ecuador before he leaves office you can.
- Posted By: lynor @ 08/05/2008 4:06:03 PM
  
  Comment: i'm sorry a "country like Ecuador"? what do we as Americans have to resent Ecuador for? if anything they should resent us, we come into their native lands promising properity and jobs and we end up killing all their ecosystems, causing serious health problems and poisening the water. they are human beings just like us and they shouldn't have to take something like this. i am glad that they are fighting back.
  
  And what you mentioned before about "a great American traditon" well that's the crux of the problem isn't it. our great American tradition shouldn't be screwing over smaller, poorer for our own personal gain. as a country we shouldn't be know for doing all of these deplorable things in the name of democracy or capitalism. and it is because of this sick mindset that we are currently in a war and that the twin towers got bombed in 9/11 ( in case anyone didn't notice there was a reason why America was targeted).
  
  so i say more power to ecuador, don't let us continue our pattern of degredation and destruction.
  - Posted By: elecuatoriano @ 09/06/2008 1:32:42 AM
    
    Comment: Comment from an Ecuadorian: It´s great for me to be able to read the article together with your comments. I thank you for realizing of all the damage Texaco did to my country. Most of your comments fill me with hope that things are going to change for the benefit of our forgotten countries. I can see there are U.S. citizens who critic today???s reality. I hope there starts to be more people like you so things change for the world's benefit.
    Texaco isn't the only company who caused damage to our poor countries. There are so many cases until today where multinationals make irreversible damages to our people and our nature. Most of the cases are not legally proved so the people affected don't have any chance to claim for justice.
    I just hope more people like you open up North American eyes to realize all the damage the multinationals are causing to our nations.
Posted By: techresmgt @ 07/27/2008 6:29:25 AM

Comment: What's Oprahma got to do with this? Nothing. Why does the popular media 'want' Oprahma to win the election? We won't know the answer to that question until after the November elections. Suffice to say it won't be good for anyone; except the media. They flip flop more than a fish out of water.
- Posted By: RO in Reno @ 07/27/2008 12:07:43 PM
  
  Comment: Could be the popular media would like to see the middle class survive, after all we buy their product and another 4 years of Bushenomics there will be no middle class
Posted By: je_di76 @ 07/27/2008 4:27:23 AM

Comment: Let's do a little reading between the lines here. A big company taking advantage of a third world country, polluting the rainforest and as a result causing health issues to the native people, doesn't want to pay the consequences for their actions....that sounds about right!
- Posted By: tc125231 @ 07/27/2008 11:41:05 AM
  
  Comment: Almost undoubtedly. I would out money with odds on it.

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A $16 Billion Problem

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Posted By: PAMELAJEAN @ 11/03/2008 10:28:55 AM

Posted By: nomoreoil @ 09/19/2008 10:35:48 AM

Posted By: Playin Possum @ 08/16/2008 1:38:31 PM

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