Ecuador decides to leave oil in the grou • Table.Briefings

As the first country in the world, Ecuador has decided in a referendum to halt oil drilling prematurely on environmental grounds. For environmentalists, the decision to halt drilling in the Yasuní National Park is a „historic victory.“ However, the country can hardly afford to abandon oil production completely.

Last Sunday, more than 5.2 million people in Ecuador voted to stop crude oil drilling in ITT Block 43 of the Yasuní National Park in the Amazon region. The referendum was held in parallel with the presidential elections and has far-reaching implications. Its result is binding, regardless of who heads the country’s government. However, it must be legally implemented first – and how that is done depends very much on the next government.

Ecuador decides to leave oil in the ground

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