China in South and Central America

Ecuador

• Some frustrated workers faced with reported favouritism towards Chinese workers have taken it upon themselves to resist. In November of 2006, residents in Ecuador’s Sucumbios province occupied and halted operations of Chinese-owned Andes Petroleum. This was a similar action as one earlier that year, where villagers in the same province attacked one of Andes Petroleum’s pipelines. In both cases, the protesters demanded that local workers be hired for the operations, which had only been transferred to Andes Petroleum from EnCana in February. After halting operations for a weekend, Andes Petroleum ultimately was able to strike a deal with the villagers:

The deal calls for 200 jobs and 256 temporary positions to be granted to locals as well as the hiring of a transportation service from local communities. Andes also will resume education and health programs that were suspended in 2005.

There have not been any complaints or actions by the workers in Tarapoa since the deal was struck.

BNamericas. "Protesters occupy Andes Petroleum, ops suspended." Rigzone 13 November 2006.

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