In the News
6/22/09 – The FARC’s Ecuadorean Friends
Monday, June 22nd 2009
“The FARC’s Ecuadorean Friends – It’s time to reaffirm the U.S. commitment to Colombia”
Wall Street Journal, June 22, 2009
“Mr. Correa is anything but respectful of U.S. interests in the region. He’s more like Fidel Castro — albeit with a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Illinois. Under his rule, liberty has been evaporating faster than you can say bolivariano. Now the Reyes letters provide strong evidence that he has been actively supporting the Marxist FARC guerrillas, who see the U.S. as a major enemy.”
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6/21/09 – Oil and water mix in Ecuador
Sunday, June 21st 2009
“Oil and Water Mix in Ecuador”
By Debra Saunders – San Francisco Chronicle, June 21, 2009
“For starters, Chevron execs can argue that Petroecuador owns the pits and that Ecuador should have cleaned up the mess years ago. And rightly so. They can point to a similar but separate lawsuit against Chevron, which a federal judge in San Francisco dismissed because the attorneys for those Ecuadoran plaintiffs “manufactured” cancer claims. But the main reason Chevron can’t settle is that any deal it makes with the villagers of Lago Agrio could only serve to encourage more lawsuits.”
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6/19/09 – Just when I thought things couldn’t get any shadier…
Friday, June 19th 2009
“What Does Allen Stanford Have in Common with Amazon Defense Coalition? Lobbyist Ben Barnes”
Bob McCarty Writes, June 19, 2009
“Just when I thought things couldn’t get any shadier, I’ve learned that the lobbyist now representing the Amazon Defense Coalition (via Kohn Swift & Graf, P.C.) in its $27 billion lawsuit against San Ramon, Calif.-based Chevron Corporation is the same man who represented Stanford Financial Group and its now-indicted founder R. Allen Stanford between 2002 and 2008.”
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6/18/09 – Ecuador’s moves against foreign investors
Thursday, June 18th 2009
“Ecuador’s moves against foreign investors”
Reuters, June 18, 2009
“Last year Correa refused to repay $3.2 billion in global bonds over charges the debt was ‘illegally’ acquired by investors in league with corrupt government officials. His government later bought back most of the debt at very low prices, but analyst say the default will keep the Andean nation out of the debt markets for years.”
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6/17/09 – Chevron accuser paid $200K to Ecuador court’s economist
Wednesday, June 17th 2009
“Chevron accuser paid $200K to Ecuador court’s economist”
By Zennie62 – sfgate.com blog “City Brights,” June 17, 2009
“Normally, an expert is called as a witness during a trial and represents one side, either the plaintiff or the defense. In this case, Ecuador had a court-appointed economist who’s by that title is supposed to be non-biased. But the discovery that Cabrera was paid $207,000 – and McCarty has photos of the check to prove it right on his blog – effectively tosses out any claim that Cabrera’s unbiased.”
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6/16/09 – Ecuador offensive fuels press freedom worries
Tuesday, June 16th 2009
“Ecuador offensive fuels press freedom worries”
Reuters, June 16, 2009
“Correa is widely seen as Ecuador’s most powerful leader since its return to democracy in 1979, but the threat to close Teleamazonas could hurt his popularity and reputation abroad.”
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6/15/09 – The Dubious Lawsuit against Chevron in Ecuador – Part 1
Monday, June 15th 2009
“The Dubious Lawsuit against Chevron in Ecuador – Part 1″
The Oil Drum, June 15, 2009
“It seems to me that the Amazon lawsuit is filled with myths, misunderstandings and out-and-out lies.”
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6/11/09 – Region silent amid attacks on the media
Thursday, June 11th 2009
“Region silent amid attacks on the media”
By Andres Oppenheimer – The Miami Herald, June 11, 2009
“What’s most daunting about the latest attacks on the media is not that the narcissist-Leninist presidents of Ecuador and Venezuela are trying to silence independent media – - after all, they need a controlled press to fulfill their goals of becoming presidents for life — but the fact that leading democracies in the region are not sounding the alarm.”
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6/11/09 – What Will Be The Outcome of the Amazon Defense Coalition’s Lawsuit Against Chevron in Ecuador
Thursday, June 11th 2009
“What Will Be The Outcome of the Amazon Defense Coalition’s Lawsuit Against Chevron in Ecuador”
Bob McCarty Writes, June 11, 2009
“Recently, I came into possession of copies of six checks totaling more than $206,000 and signed by Luis Yanza, a senior official with ADC (Amazon Defense Coalition)…I am, however, pointing out the undisputed fact that a ‘court-appointed expert’ of questionable qualifications was paid large sums of money by an Ecuadorian company established by the ADC, the financial beneficiary of the lawsuit.”
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6/8/09 – Emerging-market debt after Ecuador
Monday, June 8th 2009
“Emerging-market debt after Ecuador”
Reuters, June 8, 2009
“Ecuador is a ‘rogue debtor’ … and its most recent default is pretty much the first time in 30 years that a country has defaulted without at least a ‘colorful claim to distress.’”
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6/8/09 – Ecuador urges crackdown on foreign oil companies
Monday, June 8th 2009
“Ecuador urges crackdown on foreign oil companies”
Associated Press, June 8, 2009
“We’re going to radicalize our citizens’ revolution” – Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa
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6/8/09 – President of Ecuador Warns of Legal Sanctions for ‘Each Abuse’ of the Press
Monday, June 8th 2009
“President of Ecuador Warns of Legal Sanctions for ‘Each Abuse’ of the Press”
Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas – University of Texas at Austin, June 8, 2009
“Rafael Correa has launched new attacks against the media, using a portion of his weekly radio broadcast to challenge what he has described as the ‘mediocre and corrupt press.”
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6/1/09 – Chevron, Ecuador and Rebutting the Shake-Down
Monday, June 1st 2009
“Chevron, Ecuador and Rebutting the Shake-Down”
Shopfloor, June 1, 2009
“The trial lawyers and activists pushing the legal claims have aggressively attacked Chevron’s reputation with the goal of forcing a settlement, and the company is pushing back.”
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5/28/09 – Big Oil Bites Back
Thursday, May 28th 2009
“Big Oil Bites Back”
Investors.com, May 28, 2009
“Chevron hasn’t operated in Ecuador since 1992 and got a clean bill of health from Ecuador in 1998. Any pollution now is a product of Ecuador’s mismanaged state oil company.”
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5/27/09 – Justice or Extortion of Chevron by Amazon Activists? The Economist Asks: Is the Rule of Law the Servant of Politics in Ecuador?
Wednesday, May 27th 2009
“Justice or Extortion of Chevron by Amazon Activists? The Economist Asks: Is the Rule of Law the Servant of Politics in Ecuador?”
San Francisco Sentinel, May 27, 2009
“President Correa, as The Economist points out, has aligned himself with the American trial attorneys and protesters and publicly stated his support for them. His struggling authoritarian government is nearly bankrupt and any money he can get in a lawsuit against Chevron will help his strongman government continue to survive.”
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5/27/09 – Did Amazon Defense Coalition Violate Terms of Logan Act While Waging Chevron Lawsuit?
Wednesday, May 27th 2009
“Did Amazon Defense Coalition Violate Terms of Logan Act While Waging Chevron Lawsuit?”
Bob McCarty Writes, May 27, 2009
“American trial lawyers “cozied up to leaders of the Ecuadoran government in zealous pursuit of a $27 billion judgment against Chevron Corporation.”
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5/26/09 – Chevron, Ecuador and the Organized Shake-Down, Part I
Tuesday, May 26th 2009
“Chevron, Ecuador and the Organized Shake-Down, Part I”
Shopfloor, May 26, 2009
“an attack on Chevron’s reputation, part of a coordinated campaign meant to bully the company into settling a multibillion dollar lawsuit brought by U.S. trial lawyers” … “Chevron has facts on its side.”
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5/26/09 – Trashing Chevron in Amazon Court
Tuesday, May 26th 2009
“Trashing Chevron in Amazon Court”
By Judy Lloyd – Fox and Hounds Daily, May 26, 2009
“Not surprisingly, because they are a successful company, they are also a target for trial lawyers seeking to line their pockets through endless litigation.”
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5/26/09 – Following The Money Difficult in Ecuador Lawsuit
Tuesday, May 26th 2009
“Following The Money Difficult in Ecuador Lawsuit”
Bob McCarty Writes, May 26, 2009
“Americans deserve to know more about the people behind the lawsuit, how they’ve raised money (if any) and how they’ve spent money to advance the lawsuit.”
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5/21/09 – Justice or extortion? The hounding of an American oil company
Thursday, May 21st 2009
“Justice or extortion? The hounding of an American oil company”
The Economist, May 21, 2009
“The judge in Lago Agrio, Juan Nunez, is expected to rule on the case later this year. He has made no secret of his sympathy for the plaintiffs. The lawsuit appears to have the backing of Mr. Correa’s government.”
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