An Update of Chevron’s Ongoing Abuse of Power

In the video below, American journalist, Presbyterian minister, author and television host Chris Hedges interviews Steven Donziger, the human rights attorney that won a $9.5 billion damages claim against Chevron, based on its acquisition of Texaco, an oil company that had deliberately dumped 16 billion gallons of toxic waste into Ecuador’s rivers and streams.

That $9.5 billion judgement got Chevron’s attention, and it was upheld through 28 appeals in countries all around the world (see video). The money itself was significant, but the prospect of admitting that they knowingly ruined most of an entire country and caused widespread cancer, simply because a developing country could not defend itself, was far worse.

Enter Loretta Preska. a conservative federal judge with clear ties to Chevron (as described in the video). Last week, she sentenced Donziger to six months in prison after he had already served 787 days house arrest for refusing to identify one of his contacts related to the law suit.

The reason, of course, was Donziger’s success. Had he failed, would he be going to prison?

It’s clearly part of an ongoing effort to ruin the oil giant’s nemesis financially, professionally, and personally.

IMO, the bravery of both Donziger and Hedges are part of the reason that human civilization still has a chance to retain level of justice, and keep itself from ruin.