We recently reported that July 25 marked the deadline for the Ecuadorian Government to comply with the Inter-American Court for Human Rights' ruling in favor of the Kichwa of Sarayaku in Ecuador after the government illegally violated their territory for oil exploration.
On that date, a delegation of Sarayaku community members traveled to Quito to ensure the government would follow through.
The Sarayaku people held a press conference on July 24, and celebratory events throughout the day on the 25th to mark the anniversary of the ruling, including showing a screening of the award-winning documentary, Children of the Jaguar (above) that was co-produced by the Sarayaku community and Amnesty International.
During the screening, the Sarayaku people received word that, in compliance with the court ruling, the government paid reparations by depositing more than $1 million into the indigenous nation's account, and has committed to cleaning up the more than 3,000 pounds of explosives left on their territory.
The government also translated the court sentence into Kichwa and Shuar, made it public, and has conducted indigenous and human rights training with military officials. However, a public apology has not yet been offered.
Source: Amazon Watch
