With the agreement, one of the oil exploitation blocks could resume production soon after the stoppage imposed by the indigenous protest. | Photo: Twitter: PetroEcuador

Quito, June 26 (RHC)-- The indigenous community of El Edén, in the Ecuadorian province of Orellana, made a commitment to lift their strike this weekend and withdraw in an orderly manner to their territories.

The commitment came after an agreement with state-owned Petróleos de Ecuador, which makes the signing of a future agreement between the parties viable, according to a company communiqué.

The Kichwa community of El Edén is located at the access to oil block 12, in the Edé-Yuturi field operated by the state oil company in the province of Orellana.  They had been on strike since May 9th.

The agreement, which will benefit some 1,000 people from the communities of El Edén, San Roque Comuna and Sani Isla Orellana, will be valid for five years and includes aspects such as: financing for the drinking water project for the rural parish of El Edén, the repowering of the electrical service, the improvement of the health sub-center, as well as the management of a road map with the participation of the competent institutions for the housing project.

As part of the agreements, Petroecuador also committed to activate an integral medical brigade in the area to provide priority attention to the inhabitants who participated in the stoppage and to verify their state of health.

A pre-agreement of this document is expected to be signed in the next 15 days and the final agreement in a maximum period of two months, according to Petroecuador. The community, meanwhile, committed to lift the strike this weekend and allow free movement to and from the block.

At present, oil block 12 has a production of 28,462 barrels of oil per day, and its central production facilities process crude from two other important Amazonian oil blocks, 31 and 43, bringing total production to 87,024 barrels