65. Advocating for Environmental Justice in the Ecuadorian Rainforest with Julio Prieto UPDATED

Forces for Nature

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**This episode originally aired in May 2021. You can find an update from Julio at 24:19.

Today's guest is Julio Prieto. He's an Ecuadorian lawyer working with the Union of People Affected by Texaco, the organization otherwise known as UDAPT. He has been a key player in one of the most well-known battles for environmental justice- the case of Ecuador vs. Chevron-Texaco. After 20 years of litigation, Julio's team won the case that found Chevron to be guilty of egregious pollution and irresponsibility in the Ecuadorian rainforest. However, 10 years later, he is still fighting for the settlement that would benefit the tens of thousands impacted. We talk about his lessons learned, his most recent victory, and why, despite the impossible odds, he will never give up.

Highlights

• What were the allegations brought against Chevron-Texaco?
• What happened after they were found guilty?
• His most recent victory was a case brought by nine indigenous girls. What did that involve?
• Advice he shared if you find that an existing or proposed project in your community raises environmental, social, or animal welfare concerns.

What YOU Can Do

• Join Julio and his team by using #antichevron and #beyondchevron in your social media posts in order to bring more visibility to the issue.
• In the episode, Julio mentioned how a community in Richmond, California is also fighting against Chevron. He has asked that we support their efforts as well in order to decommission the refinery there. You can do so by writing support letters to officials and/or to editors and posting on social media to increase the case's visibility. You can learn more about these efforts on their website.

Resources

• Union of People Affected by Texaco website
• Facebook
• Twitter

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If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, rate, and review it! This helps to boost its visibility.

Hit me up on Instagram and Facebook and let me know what actions you have been taking. Adopting just one habit can be a game-changer because imagine if a billion people also adopted that!

What difference for the world are you going to make today?