Luis Yanza
Encyclopedia
Luis Yanza is an environmental activist from Ecuador, of Cofán
descent. He serves as president of the Frente de Defensa de la Amazonia (Amazon Defense Front), an NGO representing the interests of the campesino
s and indigenous peoples in Ecuador
.
. The two have been organizing indigenous communities in Ecuador to fight against international oil companies, in order to clean up devastated areas in the Ecuadorian jungle, which has become polluted from years of oil production.
Yanza and Fajardo's publication of the environmental effects from oil production has led to stronger environmental protection laws in Ecuador.
Cofán
The Cofán people are an indigenous people native to Napo Province northeast Ecuador and to southern Colombia, between the Guamués River and the Aguaricó River...
descent. He serves as president of the Frente de Defensa de la Amazonia (Amazon Defense Front), an NGO representing the interests of the campesino
Campesino
Campesino may refer to:Peasant in Spanish.The arts* Los Campesinos!, an indie pop band from Cardiff, Wales* Teatro Campesino, a theater group founded by the United Farm WorkersPeople...
s and indigenous peoples in Ecuador
Indigenous peoples in Ecuador
Indigenous peoples in Ecuador are the groups of people who were present in what became the South American nation of Ecuador when Europeans arrived. The term also includes their descendants from the time of the Spanish conquest to the present...
.
Honors
Yanza received the Goldman Environment Prize in 2008, along with Pablo Fajardo MendozaPablo Fajardo
Pablo Fajardo Mendoza is an Ecuadorian native of Cofán descent, who was raised in extreme poverty. With the help of the Roman Catholic Church, he put himself through law school...
. The two have been organizing indigenous communities in Ecuador to fight against international oil companies, in order to clean up devastated areas in the Ecuadorian jungle, which has become polluted from years of oil production.
Yanza and Fajardo's publication of the environmental effects from oil production has led to stronger environmental protection laws in Ecuador.
Legal action
As president of the Frente de Defensa de la Amazonia, Yanza has spearheaded the multi-billion-dollar class action lawsuit against Chevron-Texaco for its environmental damage in Ecuador. "This trial is not about accidental damages. We´re talking about harm to people and the environment that was done in a deliberate manner," says Yanza. The Ecuadorian courts ruled in against Chevron; however, Chevron is attempting to counter-sue Yanza, Fajardo, and their New York-based lawyer, Steven Donziger.External links
- Pablo Fajardo and Luis Yanza, profile and video