Coalition storms lobby of Westin Hotel where sacred Amazonian lands are being auctioned by Ecuadorian Government
Westin Hotel at the Galleria in Houston, TX, 2/4/2013- Tar Sands Blockaders joined indigenous leaders from the Achuar and Shuar tribes who inhabit the Amazonian rainforest of Ecuador along with their allies from Amazon Watchand representatives from Idle No More – Gulf Coast. United in solidarity against dangerous and exploitative resource extraction, the group stormed the lobby of the Westin Hotel in Houston where the Ecuadorian government was making arrangements to auction off land for oil exploration and industrial development without the consent of the tribes who live there.
“As indigenous women, we are mothers, fighters, nurturers of the natural world. We can feel when the earth can no longer reproduce. We are part of the life of the jungle and defenders of the life within it.” -Narcisa Mashienta of the Shuar Nationality
Narcisa is the program coordinator of Jungle Mamas and has a powerful vision and passion to empower the women of Shuar and Achuar.
“For us, the indigenous people, the rainforest is life. There we are in touch with everything. But, for the powerful capitalists and materialists it is seen as a business market, a money market, for power and capital. But for us, it is the market of life because we find everything there; our pharmacy, our goods, our education, our science, our knowledge, our force, our creator, are all found in the life of the jungle.” -Jaime Vargas, President of the Achuar Nationality
For more updates and photos:
http://www.tarsandsblockade.org/amazon-oil-auction/
Amazon Watch has been working with several tribes who are threatened in this land grab, the 11th Round (IV Round). An amazing video they made can be seen here:
http://amazonwatch.org/take-action/stop-the-11th-round-oil-auction-in-ecuador
Tar Sands Blockade stands in solidarity with the original peoples of the Amazon, the jungle is not for sale! Life is not negotiable! Con la vida no se negocia!