The president ofthe Dallas-based MaxusEnergy Corporation, RobertoMonti, got an unexpectedbouquet of rose flowerswhile addressing the recentInter-American Petroleumand Gas Conference in theus. Only the roses, presentedby the Rainforest ActionNetwork (RAN) activists, agroup which works toprotect rainforests worldwide and also supportsthe rights of its inhabitants,were drenched in oil; a signof protest to conveyMaxus' destruction of theEcuadorian rainforests.
Maxus got its approval in1991 to operate in an areaclassified as Block 16 situatedperilously inside Ecuador'secologically fragile YasunNational Park, which is alsohome 'to the indigenousFluaorani tribe. While it hadpledged to*carry out theproject under environmentally sound conditions, thepresent evidence indicatesotherwise. Several oil spillshave already taken place inthe Park accompanied by thedeforestation of nearly21,060 ha. Further, the oiland other toxic fluids havefound their way into thepark's waterways allege themembers of organisationslike CEDENMA, a coalition ofover a dozen environmentalorganisations in Ecuador,CONFLNAIE, the regionalAmazon Indian federationand RAN. Maxus is now beingurged to part with its environmental records on theEcuador project and submitto a full environmental audit.