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When Chevron Came to Ecuador

from May Day by David Rovics

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An area the size of Rhode Island was turned into a toxic cesspool in Ecuador, by the Chevron oil company (formerly Texaco). The lands of five tribes was completely destroyed, and the suffering of the people has been unspeakable. Attorney Steven Donziger won a $7 billion lawsuit against Chevron, but instead of paying a penny to the tribes whose lives and livelihoods they ruined, Chevron has managed to have Donziger arrested instead.

lyrics

When Chevron Came to Ecuador

When Chevron came to Ecuador it was Texaco back then
They did there what they did so many times again
An ocean of sludge, stored in pits unlined
No stone unturned, no resources unmined
They call it the Chernobyl of the Amazon
A thousand square miles dead and gone

When Chevron came to Ecuador it was a dictatorship there
What happened in the Amazon, they didn't care
As long as they made money, let the oil flow
Where the waste went, no one wanted to know
And if they did they could be bought, and if not
They could be abducted, tortured, and shot

When Chevron came to Ecuador the location
Was preferred by the oil corporation
Because they had free rein, there was no oversight
And if anyone complained, then one night
They'd not be seen again, it was a torture state
This was why Chevron thought it was so great

When Chevron came to Ecuador it was paradise on Earth
They turned it into a land of stillbirth
They left behind the ruins and took all the loot
Now they're trying to silence the ones who brought the lawsuit
Why was Donziger detained, a corrupt judge knows
And where are all the billions that the company owes

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from May Day, released August 26, 2021

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David Rovics Portland, Oregon

Singer/songwriter, writer, podcaster (on Spotify, Substack & Patreon), anarchist, dad, lover of life.

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