Tiny tribe thorn in Gore's side

U'wa people: Trying to defend sacred land

By Tom Carver in Washington

US presidential candidate Al Gore has carefully cultivated his image as an environmentalist.

But now he is under fire over his close links to the oil company, Occidental Petroleum, which has begun looking for oil in the Amazon against the wishes of a tiny local tribe called the U'wa.

The tribe is threatening to commit mass suicide if the drilling goes ahead.

The U'wa tribe is trying to stop Occidental Petroleum, from drilling on its sacred land.

With help of authorities, Occidental moves in

But Occidental is undeterred. It has started moving its heavy equipment in, backed by the Colombian Government.

Last year, three American environmental activists were killed by guerrillas while trying to defend the U'wa. They included Terence Freitas.

During an interview in March 1998, he explained what was at stake for the U'wa people.

Terence Freitas: Struggle for "life or death"

"The struggle now is simply life or death," he explained at the time.

"It's not whether they will lose 100 hectares or 10 hectares. It's whether or not the blood of Mother Earth or the U'wa is going to be taken out from under their territory and used in a way that they feel is wrong."

Gore reputation at stake

This dispute is threatening Al Gore's reputation as an environmentalist.

He has close ties and a large financial stake in Occidental Petroleum, despite its poor environmental image.