In 1972, the Texaco company extracted the first barrel of oil from the soil of Ecuador and has since spilled millions of gallons of toxic waste on the land of 12 indigenous nationalities. These toxic wastes seep into estuaries and rivers used by more than 30 000 people as a source of drinking water, irrigation and fishing. The most significant pollution of waters and soil has devastating consequences for the health of people in the area where the registered rate of cancer, leukemia, respiratory and digestive problems are significantly higher than the rest of the country. Many people had to abandon their land and those who remain have no choice but to drink water flavored oil and cultivate poisoned land.

In 2010, a judge is preparing to render a decision in the lawsuit brought in 2003 by residents of the contaminated areas against this oil company, today Chevron-Texaco. An expert appointed by the court, agrees with many of the accusations of the plaintiffs and assessed damages at $27 billion.

The full story "Juicio a Texaco", written by Juan Fernando Andrade, was published in Spanish in the September-October 2008 issue of the magazine Terra Incognita. The French is available under this link "Procès contre Texaco ".

In Ecuador, others like the painter Luis Eduardo Aguirre Torres, are concerned about the destructive action of international companies on the natural environment.