Since my Chevron-orchestrated detention finally ended on April 25 after 993 days, I’ve worked tirelessly to connect with other Earth Defenders to lay the groundwork for the next and most critical chapter of our campaign to hold Chevron accountable for the wholesale destruction of the Amazon.
Please remember: I am the first and only person in US history to be privately prosecuted by an oil company. Despite Chevron’s use of 60 law firms and 2,000 lawyers to target me with a demonization campaign, the company has not silenced our team nor stopped the forward momentum of the grassroots movement we’re building. In fact, we are growing stronger with every attack.
Despite our great progress, I am still confronted by the massive repercussions of a criminal contempt conviction that international trial monitors have determined violated multiple provisions of international law. For one, Chevron had my passport confiscated and the court is now refusing to return it. I cannot even travel out of the country to see my clients in Ecuador – a trip I have taken more than 250 times over 20 years. Traveling to Ecuador is probably the single-most important aspect of my human rights work on the epic case that resulted in a $9.5b judgment against Chevron.
If I cannot travel to Ecuador, we simply cannot do much of our legal and advocacy work. And the vulnerable communities of the Amazon who depend on us will continue to be deprived of their rights. This is exactly what Chevron wants: paralyze the opposing lawyers to leave the Indigenous peoples the company poisoned unable to get to court to demand payment of their judgment.
We cannot let them get away with it.
Yes, we won the first battle in Ecuador’s courts to hold Chevron accountable for its toxic dumping. But the fight to stop Chevron and the fossil fuel industry from attacking me and other frontline advocates is far from over. We must continue to build momentum to ensure that no oil company ever deliberately dumps cancer-causing waste into the Amazon again or prosecutes and detains me or any other critic. No less than the very fabric of our democracy is under threat by an industry that will stop at nothing to protect its profits even though its operations are destroying our planet.
Given these factors, we are now shifting our focus to fight for the 100% restoration of my rights – including my right to erase my conviction, my right to travel outside of the US to meet my clients, and my right to practice law. Our goal is to raise $50,000 by the end of June to support the legal team that now must fight on multiple fronts – both on behalf of the communities to enforce their judgment and on behalf of me and other lawyers so we can work. Will you help us by contributing $500, $50, $100, or $10 or more today?
Chevron for decades tried to terrorize me into quitting the legal case and abandoning the vulnerable Amazon communities of Ecuador – that is, to abandon one of the most important climate and justice fights in history. We have largely faced down the awesome power of one oil company. We now must go further and do our part in taking on the entire fossil fuel industry.
Here are my current areas of focus that need support so I can continue to help lead this effort:
Restore my right to work. My law license was stripped away at the hands of Chevron without even a fact hearing. For now, I’m almost entirely dependent on support from concerned people like you. This is outrageous; my law license must be reinstated.
Obtain a pardon. We must renew with even greater vigor our urgent call for a pardon by President Biden – a call that has been backed by Amnesty International and 120 environmental and human rights organizations in what might be one of the most far-reaching global campaigns for a pardon in history. Chevron’s relentless abuse of our legal system has weakened our country’s reputation in both international human rights and environmental law. It is urgent for President Biden to step up to correct this injustice once and for all – not just for me, but for all of us.
Guarantee this never happens again. My detention was a miscarriage of justice that has undermined not only Indigenous peoples in the Amazon, but our Constitution and the moral standing of the US. As I continue to wrestle with the aftermath of Chevron’s private prosecution, I know one thing: we can never let this happen again. We cannot let the US become yet another country that locks up its human rights lawyers.
Global advocacy work. We need a constant inflow of resources to continue our advocacy work on the Ecuador matter and on human rights and climate generally. We literally need to reach all corners of the world with our story via social media, speaking opportunities, lectures, and writing. We now get millions of impressions per month on my social media accounts; we need to keep this growing and building as it helps protect me and our team and leverage our power.
We are building our team to help take this fight to the next level. This includes the addition of two very able and experienced lawyers. (I am not going to mention their names yet as I do not want Chevron to start launching pre-emptive attacks.) To do this, we’ve set the goal of raising $50,000 by the end of the month and another $100,000 by the end of summer.
Will you help us reach our goal by contributing $2,500, $1,000, $500, $100, $50 or $10 now?
Please know that we understand times are tough and that we ask for funds frequently. If you have given before but cannot do so now, understand how deeply we appreciate your support. And understand how grateful we are for any donation no matter what the amount. And please – whether you donate or not – be sure to sign on to the pardon letter to President Biden. Thus far, 120 organizations and 12,000 citizens have signed the pardon letter.
I again ask people to understand the enormous stakes. Indigenous peoples in Ecuador are literally dying from exposures to Chevron’s toxic dumping as I write this letter. They struggle for safe drinking water, clean food, and urgent medical care every single day. I can ensure you that we will not stop until we’ve collected every dollar of the judgment needed to clean these vital ecosystems necessary for the survival of all.
Please do what you can today to help us.
In solidarity,
Steven
P.S. I want to remind each of you that in addition to donating to the Donziger Defense Fund, one of the best ways to strike back at Chevron and support my ability to earn a living is to become a paid subscriber to my new Substack at a cost of $60 annually. These funds will enable me and our team to continue posting hard-hitting commentary regarding the fossil fuel industry and the prison-industrial complex. You can subscribe here. |
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Steven Donziger is a U.S. human rights attorney who helped communities in Ecuador’s Amazon win a historic multibillion-dollar pollution judgment against Chevron for the dumping of billions of gallons of cancer-causing oil waste onto Indigenous ancestral lands. Since the judgment issued in 2013, Chevron has used dozens of law firms and 2000 lawyers to carry out a demonization campaign targeting Steven to send a message of intimidation to all environmental advocates.
Donate NOW to help support Steven as he and the Ecuadorian communities continue their fight for corporate accountability, environmental justice, Indigenous rights, and Free Speech. DONATE NOW |
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