My guest today is Steven Donziger, a human rights and environmental lawyer best known for leading a historic legal case against Chevron on behalf of Indigenous communities in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
We discuss Chevron’s environmental crimes, the weaponization of the legal system, the implications of the recent $600+ million verdict against Greenpeace USA, and what all of this means for climate activism, democracy, and political resistance today.
Support the campaign to restore Steven’s law license: https://chuffed.org/campaign/standwithdonziger
Sign Greenpeace’s open letter against the Energy Transfer verdict: https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/energy-transfer-lawsuit/
Read Steven’s writing on Substack: https://substack.com/@stevendonziger
Follow Steven on social media:
Twitter: https://x.com/SDonziger
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevendonziger/
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00:00 Chevron doesn’t want you to hear this
00:34 Introducing Steven Donziger
02:12 The legal battle against Chevron
09:05 Chevron’s power in Ecuador
11:28 Shifting the cultural narrative
17:05 The legacy of the Ecuadorian people’s win
18:59 Chevron’s retaliation strategy against Donziger
24:10 Personal struggles & resilience
27:43 House arrest & disbarment
34:40 History repeats: Energy Transfer vs. Greenpeace
39:34 The ongoing criminalization of climate advocacy
44:00 The lack of opposition & what to do about it
52:06 Elite capture & lessons from history
54:42 A movement towards democratic socialism?
58:38 Reasons for hope (& skepticism)
1:02:20 Historical examples of political transformation
1:07:06 Actions to take now
1:10:15 Self-care, resilience & solidarity
1:12:18 The campaign to restore Steven’s law license
1:14:58 Conclusion & links
Host/Creator: Michael Mezzatesta
Guest: Steven Donziger
Editor: Nuria Salgado
Designer: Amea Wadsworth
Thanks for watching episode 007. Lots more on the way :)