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Oct 2023
27m 27s

Why did Ecuador vote to stop drilling fo...

Bbc World Service
About this episode

The Yasuni National Park in Ecuador forms part of the Amazon rainforest and is one of the most bio-diverse places on the planet. It also produces 60,000 barrels of oil per day. In a recent referendum, held as part of Ecuador’s Presidential elections, people voted to stop drilling for oil – including the newly elected President Daniel Noboa. We visit the town of El Coca – the gateway to the park - where the result thrilled people who are concerned about the climate. But many, especially those whose livelihoods depend on the oil industry, feel the opposite. Presenter Sophie Eastaugh speaks to: Lisette Arevalo, reporter in Ecuador Alejandra Santillana, activist with Yasunidos group in Ecuador who campaigned for the vote Fernando Santos, Ecuador’s Energy & Mining Minister Tessa Khan, climate lawyer and cofounder of the Climate Litigation Network, UK Navraj Singh Ghaleigh, Senior Lecturer in climate law at Edinburgh University, UK

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Presenter: Sophie Eastaugh Producer: Greg Brosnan Production co-ordinators: Sophie Hill and Jacqui Johnson Series Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: China Collins Sound mix: Tom Brignell

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