QUITO, Ecuador (AFX) - A group representing oil companies in Ecuador on Sunday criticized the government's failure to curb takeovers of pumping facilities by Indian communities, saying international companies are being 'blackmailed.'
The complaint came a day after 300 protesters ended a three-day seizure of an oil camp in Cuyabeno, a jungle city 240 kilometers (150 miles) from Quito. The decision to end the takeover came after the Chinese consortium Andes Petroleum reportedly promised more jobs for the community.
The president of the Hydrocarbon Company Association of Ecuador, Rene Ortiz, said in a statement Sunday that companies have been 'blackmailed' by these indigenous communities.
The Cuyabeno case was 'part of a chain of crimes by many eastern communities against the international oil companies,' said Ortiz, whose associated members Chevron Texaco and Exxon Mobil.
Ecuador's powerful Indian movement has often mobilized against large oil companies, protesting oil contamination of indigenous lands and demanding jobs for local communities.
The head of the industry said the 'absence' of Ecuador's government in these conflicts 'is being taken advantage of by human hordes to create chaos and more chaos.'
Ecuador produces 535,000 of crude per day, 300,000 produced by private companies.
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