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November 29, 2010

BP Sued in Ecuadorian Court For Violating Rights of Nature
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A coalition of environmentalists have filed a groundbreaking lawsuit in
Ecuador against the oil giant BP for violating Ecuador’s constitution
which recognizes "the rights of Nature" across the globe. Plaintiffs
include Nnimmo Bassey, the president of Friends of the Earth
International and the Indian scientist Vandana Shiva.

Vandana Shiva: "This morning we filed in the constitutional court of
Ecuador this lawsuit defending the rights of nature in particular the
right of the Gulf of Mexico and the sea which has been violated by the
BP oil spill. We see this as a test case of the rights of nature
enshrined in the constitution of Ecuador—it’s about universal
jurisdiction beyond the boundaries of Ecuador because nature has rights
everywhere."



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