What China has to do with the mysterious death of an indigenous leader in Ecuador

08/12/2014 - http://qz.com/

Last week the leader of an Ecuadorian indigenous group, José Isidro Tendetza Antún was found by his son in an unmarked grave. The outspoken critic of a controversial Ecuadorian mining project had been due to speak at the United Nations climate talks in Lima this week. Authorities said that the circumstances of his death are still unclear, but it is certain to draw more attention to Chinese-funded resource extraction in the Andean nation.

Tendetza’s death is at least partly related to what critics say is Ecuador’s unhealthy dependence on China. The country—once hailed for a “green constitution” that protected the environment and pledged to prosecute those that harm the country’s biodiversity—has more recently turned to exploiting its supplies of oil, gas and minerals to pay off its massive debts, mostly owed to... Read more