Indigenous peoples at risk

To ward off bad luck, indigenous people from the Houorani tribe, one of the peoples of the Ecuadorian Amazon, sing. Their first contact with the outside world dates back barely 70 years. They live on the banks of the Tiputini River, surrounded by jungle. A hostile environment, except for this community whose existence depends on nature. But for how much longer? Today, they are calling on the authorities. “As the responsible state, the Ecuadorian state should take care of the people, but it has always evaded its responsibilities”explained the tribal representative.

To better understand the dangers that threaten them, you only have to travel a few kilometers from their village. In the middle of the forest, a dense and oily layer covers part of their hunting territory. Oil has been extracted in the area. A small operation, abandoned at first glance, the Houaorani are discovering more and more of it. However, they live in an area that is supposed to be protected, their territory extends over nearly a million hectares. In recent years, oil extraction, a resource that belongs to the State, has brought in billions of dollars and this has profoundly changed the landscapes, irreparably. The Ecuadorian Amazon forest is also on borrowed time. Fires linked to global warming are increasingly present while deforestation continues.