Post on 14-Apr-2018
7/28/2019 Media Pack for "The Dark Side of the Amazon"
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Contact Beth Pis: darksideohejungle@outlook.com
27th
September 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Beth Pis: darksideohejungle@outlook.com
BEYOND YASUN: THE DARK SIDE OF THE AMAZONIndependent documentary reveals the shocking impact of oil exploitaon in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
Beyond Yasun: the impending event threatening not just one naonal park, but ALL of Ecuadors remaining virgin jungle.A cry for help: stand alongside the indigenous people of Ecuador when they resist the exploitaon of their ancestral land.
The recent failure of Ecuadors Yasun ITT Iniave, in
which the government oered to refrain indenitely from
exploing the oil reserves of the Ishpingo-Tambococha-
Tipuni (ITT) oil eld within the Yasun Naonal Park, in
exchange for 50% of the value of the reserves, or $3.6
billion over 13 years from the internaonal community,
has been covered extensively in the internaonal press.
But with the eyes of the world focused on a ny part of
one naonal park, another much greater catastrophe is
growing rapidly and virtually unnoced, under the
innocuous tle of theXI Oil Round; an event which
doesnt just threaten part of one naonal park, but all of
Ecuadors last remaining tract of virgin rainforest.
On 28th
November 2013, the XI Oil Round will see 3 million hectares of Ecuadors most prisne jungle, deemed to be the
best preserved in the enre Amazon basin, auconed o to the highest bidding oil company despite the fact that the
resulng extracon is esmated to prolong the countrys oil exportaon by a mere two years.
The exploitaon of the Ecuadorian Amazon, the most bio-diverse area on the planet, is not just a local issue. With global
carbon dioxide levels increasing every day, the Amazons role as the lungs of the planet becomes ever more vital. Its fate
aects us all.
The area which is up for aucon in the XI Oil Round is notable not only for its biodiversity but for its cultural heritage.
Ecuadors southern Amazon region includes over 2 million hectares of ancestral territory which is home to several
indigenous peoples, including some uncontacted tribes, who rely on the rainforest and its rivers for hunng, shing,
agriculture, drinking water and, in some cases, eco-tourism.
Whilst some tribes are voluntarily isolated, others believe that responsible tourism is the best way to create a long-term,
sustainable income from the jungle, whilst at the same me preserving it and educang visitors about its wonders. One
such tribe is the Sarayaku (whose President, Jos Gualinga, is interviewed in the documentary), an indigenous group
numbering around 2000 who live in several villages along a stretch of the Bobonaza river in the province of Pastaza. The
Sarayaku selecvely embrace technology, in harmony with their environment. Not only is their eco-lodge powered by solar
panels, but they have even created their own blog to educate the world about their way of life and the threat it is under.
The Ecuadorian government has promised that, following the XI Oil Round, exploitaon will be undertaken with
environmental and social responsibility. This statement prompts a very important queson: can oil be extracted without
damage to the surrounding environment and its people?
It was this very queson which prompted independent documentary maker Jonathan Gaitan to invesgate the likely
repercussions of the XI Oil Round by vising communies in the Ecuadorian Amazon already living with the reality of oil
exploitaon. What he discovers is shocking.
Oil spill in the Napo River, May 2013
7/28/2019 Media Pack for "The Dark Side of the Amazon"
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Contact Beth Pis: darksideohejungle@outlook.com
In these days of polical propaganda, spin and manipulaon, there is nothing beer than seeing for oneself. The Dark Side
of the Amazon is a low budget, independent lm which allows viewers to do just that. Accompany Jonathan and his
colleague Gema as they journey into the jungle to witness rst-hand the terrible impact of exisng oil exploitaon and visit
with them some of the communies whose ancestral land is up for aucon in November.
The Dark Side of the Amazon is not just an informaonal video. Its a request, a cry for help. So many ghts are already
lost, but the bale to save Ecuadors prisne jungle is being waged right now - and can sll be won.
The indigenous people in the XI Oil Round zone have vowed to resist the invasion of the oil companies; to protect the jungle
and their way of life. Jonathan Gaitan believes that the only way that their safety can be ensured is for people from all over
the world to physically and peacefully stand by their side when the me comes, with as many foreign media present as
possible. The eye of the world needs to be on this situaon as it unfolds.
Jonathan calls for those who can travel to Ecuador in the coming months to stand with him and the indigenous people when
the me comes. Resources are cited below for those who would like to keep up to date with developments in the region.
For those unable to travel to Ecuador, Jonathan implores everyone who is moved by the documentary to share it as widely
as they can, especially with any media contacts.
The Dark Side of the Amazon can be viewed here (for English subtles, click the Capons (CC) buon which appears at
the boom right hand of the window in Youtube):hp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpgUn3Sx7a8
Resources:
Email for more informaon or to request a media pack: darksideohejungle[at]outlook[dot]com
Jonathan Gaitans blog:hp://unavoz.overblog.com(Spanish, some English)
Amazon Watch:hp://amazonwatch.org/English)
La Resistencia Ecuador:hps://www.facebook.com/resistenciaecuador?fref=ts(Spanish)
CDES:hps://www.facebook.com/resistenciaecuador?fref=ts(Spanish)
Sarayaku blog:hp://sarayaku.org/(Spanish)
-Ends-
For more informaon, or to arrange an interview with Jonathan Gaitan, a capvang speaker in both English and Spanish,
contact Beth Pis ondarksideohejungle@outlook.com
Notes to the EditorAbout the 11th Oil Round
The XI Oil Round is an aucon of oil blocks in Ecuador's southern Amazon region iniated by the Ecuadorian government in
November of 2012. The 16 oil blocks in the southern Ecuadorian Amazon cover over 3 million hectares of primary rainforest
previously untouched by oil exploraon. The region is Ecuadors last remaining tract of virgin rainforest and is considered
the best-preserved part of the Amazon. Studies show that 85% of the area slated for inclusion in the XI Round is intact,
primary forest. Companies from around the world will bid for licenses to operate in areas where oil reserves are believed to
exist, although the Ecuadorian government has expressed the belief that the most likely bidders in the November 2013
aucon will be Chinese companies.
Ecuador's oil reserves are limited. It is esmated that the country has no more than twenty years of oil exports le. Oil
reserves in the southern Ecuadorian Amazon are likely to prolong exportaon by two years.
The map below shows the locaon of the Amazon basin in Ecuador; the oil blocks in the Northern Ecuadorian Amazon
which are already licensed for exploitaon; and the blocks (in orange) which are due to be auconed on 28th
November
2013. The Ishpingo-Tambococha-Tipuni (ITT) oil eld within the Yasun Naonal Park can be seen on the eastern side of the
northern oil blocks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpgUn3Sx7a8http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpgUn3Sx7a8http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpgUn3Sx7a8http://unavoz.overblog.com/http://unavoz.overblog.com/http://unavoz.overblog.com/http://amazonwatch.org/http://amazonwatch.org/http://amazonwatch.org/https://www.facebook.com/resistenciaecuador?fref=tshttps://www.facebook.com/resistenciaecuador?fref=tshttps://www.facebook.com/resistenciaecuador?fref=tshttps://www.facebook.com/resistenciaecuador?fref=tshttps://www.facebook.com/resistenciaecuador?fref=tshttps://www.facebook.com/resistenciaecuador?fref=tshttp://sarayaku.org/http://sarayaku.org/http://sarayaku.org/mailto:darksideofthejungle@outlook.commailto:darksideofthejungle@outlook.commailto:darksideofthejungle@outlook.commailto:darksideofthejungle@outlook.comhttp://sarayaku.org/https://www.facebook.com/resistenciaecuador?fref=tshttps://www.facebook.com/resistenciaecuador?fref=tshttp://amazonwatch.org/http://unavoz.overblog.com/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpgUn3Sx7a87/28/2019 Media Pack for "The Dark Side of the Amazon"
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A total of 13 blocks are up for aucon in the XI Round on November 28th
2013, all located within the south-east Amazon
region. The blocks oered are: 22, 29, 70, 71, 72, 73, 77, 79, 80, 81, 83, 84 and 87. In addion, three blocks (28, 78, 86) have
been assigned to the state-run oil company Petroamazonas. Five blocks (74, 75, 76, 82, 85) have been temporarily
suspended from the aucon due to indigenous resistance.
About Yasun ITT
The Yasuni-ITT Iniave was the proposal by the government of Ecuador to
refrain indenitely from exploing the oil reserves of the currently
untouched Ishpingo-Tambococha-Tipuni (ITT) oil eld within the Naonal
Park, in exchange for 50% of the value of the reserves, or $3.6 billion over 13
years from the internaonal community. A United Naons Development
Programme (UNDP) fund was set up in 2010 to receive contribuons. But on
15th August 2013 the President, stang that only $13.3m had been received
from foreign naons, signed a decree to liquidate the UNDP fund.
7/28/2019 Media Pack for "The Dark Side of the Amazon"
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Contact Beth Pis: darksideohejungle@outlook.com
Drilling for oil was declared to be in the naonal interest, a move which threatens 10,000 hectares of virgin jungle within the
Yasun Naonal Park.
A team of scientists from various US and Ecuadorian universities and non-profits has documented that Yasun National Park,
located in the core of the Ecuadorian Amazon and shown in green on the map above, is the most diverse area in all of South
America and shatters world records for a wide array of plant and animal groups, from amphibians to trees to insects.
According to their report, Yasun is probably unmatched by any other park in the world for total numbers of species. Detailsof their study can be found here:
http://saveamericasforests.org/Yasuni/Publications/Yasuni%20Biodiversity%20Press%20Release.pdf
Images (high resoluon versions available on request)
Suggested TweetsDiscover the shocking truth of oil exploitaon: The Dark Side of the Amazon. Documentary from @unavozecuador
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So many ghts are lost, but the bale for the Ecuadorian Amazon can sll be won. Find out howhp://bit.ly/1gI7bCA
@unavozecuador
Oil spill in the Napo River, May 2013 Oil on the stones near Coca, Ecuador, May 2013
Ecuadors Southern Amazon is home
to six indigenous naonaliesDocumentary maker Jonathan Gaitan
http://saveamericasforests.org/Yasuni/Publications/Yasuni%20Biodiversity%20Press%20Release.pdfhttp://saveamericasforests.org/Yasuni/Publications/Yasuni%20Biodiversity%20Press%20Release.pdfhttp://bit.ly/1gI7bCAhttp://bit.ly/1gI7bCAhttp://bit.ly/1gI7bCAhttp://bit.ly/1gI7bCAhttp://bit.ly/1gI7bCAhttp://bit.ly/1gI7bCAhttp://bit.ly/1gI7bCAhttp://saveamericasforests.org/Yasuni/Publications/Yasuni%20Biodiversity%20Press%20Release.pdf7/28/2019 Media Pack for "The Dark Side of the Amazon"
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Dont be fooled! Yasuni ITT is just a ploy to distract from a much more destrucve planhp://bit.ly/1gI7bCA
@unavozecuador
Independent documentary reveals the shocking impact of oil exploitaon in the Ecuadorian Amazonhp://bit.ly/1gI7bCA
@unavozecuador
Beyond Yasuni: the impending event threatening not just one park, but ALL of Ecuadors virgin junglehp://bit.ly/1gI7bCA
@unavozecuador
A cry for help: stand with Ecuadors indigenous people when they resist exploitaon of their landhp://bit.ly/1gI7bCA
@unavozecuador
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