Earlier this week on Democracy Now!, we spoke with two activists about the U’wa Indians of South America. The U’wa are threatening mass suicide to block a planned drilling project by oil giant Occidental Petroleum. Leaders of the 4,000-member U’wa Indian tribe say that Occidental’s plans for the oil-rich region of northeast Colombia threaten their livelihood and traditional way of life.

The story of the U’wa reminded us that the story of indigenous people and the oil industry is an old one — and one that deserves more exploration.

Guests:

• Gerard Colby, the co-author of the work ??Thy Will Be Done: The Conquest of the Amazon: Nelson Rockefeller and Evangelism in the Age of Oil. A former Congressional press secretary, Gerard Colby also authored ??Du Pont: Behind the Nylon Curtain and ??Du Pont Dynasty. His articles have appeared in a wide variety of national news sources and magazines.
• Charlotte Dennett, the co-author of the work ??Thy Will Be Done: The Conquest of the Amazon: Nelson Rockefeller and Evangelism in the Age of Oil. She is an investigative journalist and former reporter for the Middle East Sketch and the Beirut Daily Star. She has written articles for the Los Angeles Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, The Nation, and other national outlets.

Related links

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