| Between 1964 and 1990, Texaco deliberately dumped more than 18 billion gallons of toxic wastewater in the Ecuadorian Amazon, spilled roughly 17 million gallons of crude oil and left hazardous waste in hundreds of open pits dug out of the forest floor. The result was, and continues to be, one of the worst environmental disasters on the planet. Â The Ecuadorian government claims that future oil exploitation will be conducted with "environmental and social responsibility", bringing economic benefit to the whole country. Â We discussed these claims with Pocho Alvarez, a well-known Ecuadorian director and cinematographer who has worked on a number of documentaries about oil exploitation, including 'Crude' (2009) and Toxico Texaco (2007).
Chakana Chronicles is a bilingual website (spanish/english)
which aims to amplify internationally the voices of those defending nature and human rights in Ecuador. Our special focus is the struggle to protect the Amazon from oil exploitation. Â To give background to these grassroots resistance stories, we also feature gems of culture & history from this fascinating nation. Â | 
