The chair of Occidental Petroleum has filed suit against environmental and human rights activists who have been picketing his home and office to protest Occidental’s plans to drill for oil on rainforest land in Colombia that is considered to be the ancestral home of the indigenous U’wa tribe. Ray Irani claims his family life was disrupted and wants a court to grant him damages for his “substantial emotional distress.” Amazon Watch Executive Director Atossa Soltani: “It’s ironic that Ray Irani is trying to stop the protests around his home when he’s invading the U’wa homeland.” At the U’wa tribe’s request, a Colombian court last week issued a temporary order that stops Occidental from beginning its drilling. The company plans to appeal.
