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EL COMERCIO

April 14, 2008- 14 de Abril del 2008

The TC gave way to a claim against Petrobras

El TC dio paso a un recurso de amparo contra Petrobras

 

El Comercio

The TC gave way to a claim against Petrobras

The Constitutional Court, through third chamber, accepted an appeal against the environmental license granted to Petrobras.

The authorization was for the construction and production in Block 31, which is inside the Yasuni National Park (PNY).

The appeal was filed by several environmental organizations. It was denied at first by Maria Elena Chavez, Judge XXIII of the Civil Pichincha. The Constitutional Court overturned that decision.

According to Santiago Izurieta, the lawyer representing the conservationists, "This ruling is a major breakthrough in the country and a real precedent in legal matters."

Meanwhile, according to the legal adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Rene Orbe, the appeal is directed toward the previous environmental license, wich was declared ineffective on October 9, 2007. "The decision of the TC does not affect the existing resolution 217, the one that was signed on October 18, 2007 by the then Minister of Environment, Ana Alban."

According to Xavier Bustamante, the director of the Nature Foundation, one of the plaintiffs' organizations, there is no need to downplay the importance of the appeal although it does not have any effect on the new license. "We're doing a legal analysis of the appeal to see if it will effect only on the previous license or new license as well. The important thing is that this is a historic decision. "
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EN ESPAÑOL

El Comercio

El TC dio paso a un recurso de amparo contra Petrobras

El Tribunal Constitucional, a través de su III Sala, aceptó un recurso de amparo en contra de la licencia ambiental otorgada a Petrobras.

Dicha autorización era para la construcción y producción en el bloque 31, el mismo que está dentro del Parque Nacional Yasuní (PNY).

El recurso fue planteado por varias organizaciones ambientalistas. Y en primera instancia fue negado por María Elena Chávez, jueza XXIII de lo Civil de Pichincha. Pero el Tribunal Constitucional revocó esa resolución.

Para Santiago Izurieta, abogado patrocinador de los conservacionistas, "este fallo es un gran avance en el país y un verdadero precedente en materia jurídica".

Entre tanto, según el asesor jurídico del Ministerio del Ambiente, René Orbe, dicho recurso de amparo es sobre la licencia ambiental anterior, la misma que quedó sin vigencia el 9 de octubre del 2007. "La decisión del TC no afecta a la resolución vigente 217, la misma que fue suscrita el 18 de octubre del 2007 por la entonces ministra del Ambiente, Ana Albán".

Según Xavier Bustamante, director de Fundación Natura, una de las organizaciones demandantes, no hay que restar importancia aún así no tenga efecto sobre la nueva licencia. "Estamos haciendo un análisis legal de la resolución para saber si tendría efecto solo sobre la anterior licencia o la nueva. Lo importante es una decisión histórica".

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