[5] The real issue hidden by behind the term "extractivism" is who controls the natural resources of oppressed nations: the imperial powers or these nations themselves. A central issue of "extractivism" is buried: who uses natural resources for whose interests, who benefits. Ecuador have taken control of its natural resources from Western corporations, and uses the wealth produced to improve the lives of the people.
Ecuador MinisterLong questions whether "it would be right to simply stop extracting oil before we have completed or even engineered the transition to a non-primary economy. Aside from the collapse of the Ecuadorian state, it would mean a sharp return to the plantation economy (and owner!), a dramatic reduction of resources to tackle poverty (one of the principal causes of environmental degradation in the first place), and no capital to invest in the diversification of our economy.
"This cannot be a serious proposal, especially if we consider that the greatest threat to our biodiversity, the utmost cause of deforestation and environmental ruin in Ecuador is poverty and the aggressive advance of the agricultural frontier. Poverty and the lack of infrastructure means many precarious towns and cities still offload their waste into ever-more-polluted Amazonian rivers."
[6] "Everyone needs to know that CONAIE is not the only indigenous voice in the country," declared Franklin Columba, leader of the National Confederation of Campesino, Indigenous and Black Organizations (FENOCIN). He said that FENOCIN has rejected CONAIE's call for a national strike because "we as a national organization are not going to lend ourselves to playing the right's game," referring to the wealthy right-wing opposition who have used the momentum of current protests to denounce laws to redistribute the wealth in the country.
Jose Agualsaca, president of the Indigenous Federation of Ecuador (FEI) stated, "We believe that these marches and this uprising wants to destabilize the country, and what they really want is to overthrow President Rafael Correa from power. But it would not end there, they want to take him out, then convoke a new constitutional assembly, and make a new constitution which would serve the interests of the richest sectors of society. This is the position of the FEI."
Former CONAIE President Humberto Cholango has warned"The Right wants to hijack our country". from Pachakutik's side, some people are trying to call on the neoliberal right, led by Guillermo Lasso ex-banker and the gentlemen Nebot and the traitors of the indigenous movement, as Mr. Gutierrez."
CONAIE has had a number of high-profile defections from its ranks, including historic leaders such as Delia Caguana. "Caguana said "How is possible that the leadership of CONAIE can make alliances with people from the right, given the fact that they are merely exploiting us?" "As an indigenous movement, no matter what, we are much better off (with the government) rather than joining forces with the banking oligarchy."
One of CONAIE's founders, Miguel Lluco, still an important name within the movement, provides an explanation:"The indigenous uprising is the highest level of protest that exists, if they going to use that [in August 2015], concurring with the right, it is because they have sold out the dignity of the nationalities and indigenous people of Ecuador to the right, and a consequence that is very grave and history will have to judge them".We believed [Herrerea, the CONAIE president] would correctly lead this historic, important organization ... but instead has aligned himself with the interests of Ecuador's right-wing."
Olindo Nastacuaz, president of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of the Ecuadorian Coast, said his organization would no participate in ant-Correa protests, saying, "We are not going to act as a stepping stone for the right."
Maria Clara Sharupi, a poet and grassroots leader from the Shuar nation, agrees there is little support on the ground for this uprising and categorically ruled out the participation of her community in the uprising. "Wherever we find ourselves, we are going to say 'no' to this uprising and this mobilization." She added, the uprising has been "imposed" on communities by a group of people aligned with bankers and the old elite, frustrated with a socialist government.
"I want to tell the bankers, the right, the opposition, those who seek to destabilize this country, the Amazon and the indigenous peoples, in this case the Shuar men and women, we are not your property," said Sharupi.
The December 2016 violent incidents in Morona Santiago, which left one police shot dead and seven wounded, was presented in the West as the Shuar people resisting a Chinese mining company. In fact the Shuar leaders have condemned these acts and have called for prosecution.
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