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Friday, May 29, 1998 Published at 15:59 GMT 16:59 UK
World: Americas
Suicide threat cancels oil drill
The American-based oil company Occidental has cancelled plans to drill on land in northern Colombia regarded as sacred by an native local tribe.
8,000 U'wa Indians who live on the land where Occidental have exploration rights threatened mass suicide if exploration went ahead. For them, oil is considered the blood of the earth.
They and their supporters had been waging an international campaign for three years to stop the company pressing ahead with its plans.
They paid for full-page advertisements in American newspapers and got essential backing from human rights activists.
Occidental ended months of speculation by announcing it was giving up its rights to a 2,000sq km area in the Samore region.
The Colombian Government - which stood to receive 85% of the profits from any oil found - is thought to have offered Occidental alternative sites nearby.
The U'wa tribe said no celebrations were planned until they found out whether this land was outside traditional Indian territory.
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