Chevron in Ecuador

The archive of the Clean Up Ecuador campaign website


Preliminary Statements on Ruling from 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals

8 August 2016 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Karen Hinton at +1.703.798.3109


Below is a statement from Karen Hinton, U.S. spokesperson for the Ecuadorians who successfully sued Chevron in Ecuador court.

"We are shocked by this decision. The Ecuadorians' attorneys are reviewing it carefully and will be exploring all options for further appeal. As disappointed as we are, this ruling will not deter the Ecuadorians, their lawyers and their supporters from aggressively seeking justice in Canada and in other countries where litigation is underway to seize Chevron assets. With those assets, the Ecuadorians will be able to undo some of the damages Chevron left behind – damage that has ruined the pristine rainforest and taken the lives of men, women and children who depend on the rainforest for the basic necessities of life. It is a sad day for the U.S. justice system."

Following is a statement from Deepak Gupta, attorney for Steven Donziger, a U.S. legal adviser to the Ecuadorians.

"Today's decision is unprecedented in American law. Never before has a U.S. court allowed someone who lost a case in another country to come to the U.S. to attack a foreign court's damages award. The decision hands well-heeled corporations a template for avoiding legal accountability anywhere in the world. And it throws the entire international judgment-enforcement framework out the window. We will be exploring all available options for further review."

 

See here for additional background about the case.