RICHMOND, California (AP) — The California Senate has introduced a landmark resolution to have the state examine its crude imports from the Amazon, following a visit this week by Indigenous leaders from Ecuador who urged lawmakers to help stop oil expansion in their territories. The development comes as the Ecuadorian government plans to auction off 14 new oil sites covering more than 2 million hectares of rainforest — much of it on Indigenous land — in a 2026 bidding round. The Indigenous delegation joined local Californians in Richmond for a kayaking trip on Thursday near a Chevron refinery, sharing stories about the Amazon and perspectives on climate threats. It’s not clear when the resolution will be up for a vote.
Reporting by Steven Grattan and Godofredo Vasques, Associated Press
Banner image: Juan Bay, president of the Waorani people of Ecuador, foreground, looks at an oil tanker docked at the Chevron Long Wharf, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Richmond, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
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