American actress and humanitarian Mia Farrow visited the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador this week to witness first-hand the devastation caused by Chevron when it operated in the region between 1964 and 1990.
During that time, Chevron used illegal disposal methods to systematically dump roughly 18 billion gallons of toxic waste into unprotected pools and local waterways, contaminating soil and water sources for local communities and leaving lasting environmental damage and a public health crisis.
"I came here to see for myself the effects, the terrible mess by Chevron-Texaco and to speak to the people that were profoundly affected by this toxic mess," Farrow said from Ecuador. "We must all demand that the oil companies drilling in our countries be responsible and transparent." Chevron has been ordered to pay $9.5 billion to indigenous Ecuadorians, but has so far refused to honor the 2011 judgment from an Ecuadorian court, even after fighting for years to move the case from the United States to Ecuador. In December 2013, an appellate court in Canada ruled that the plaintiffs have the right to pursue enforcement of the judgment in Canada since Chevron no longer has assets in Ecuador.Photo: © Ricky Fitchett/ZUMAPRESS.com
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