Steven Donziger: The Amazon Chernobyl and The Bizarre Rule of American Law
Texaco did it, Chevron bought it
1400 square miles and 16 billion gallons of oily pollution
Fouling pristine rainforest – no easy solution.
Donziger fought Texaco/Chevron
Alongside 30,000 indigenous peoples for years
The venue in New York,
Then Ecuador at Chevron’s insistence.
When Ecuadorian courts awarded the Indians $18 billion
Chevron reneged, and the case returned to New York City
Judge Kaplan, In Chevron’s pocket,
Charged Donziger with contempt
For refusing cell and computer data
The DOJ refused to prosecute this misdemeanor
So Kaplan turned it over to a Chevron law firm
And assigned Presca for prosecution.
She subjected Donziger to 813 days of house arrest.
And now he’s bound to jail for 6 months
Unprecedented Judicial misbehavior
Prosecuted by the same lawyers
Helping Chevron avoid an $18 billion judgment.
Howard P. Charman, MD 10-27-2021
Democracy Now this date for interview