How a disappearing oil field was the answer to one tribe's prayers
Bizarre campaign pays off as US oil giant quits Amazon project

In a terse statement, Oxy last week said it would now leave the region "for technical reasons" and hand back its 2,000sq km (516,000 acre) concession to the Colombian government. Its test wells, drilled to more than 3,600 metres (12,000ft), discovered only faint traces of gas and water. "We remain confident in the geology. We made an evaluation of the results of the drilling and the investment we've made, and it didn't justify continuing," a spokesman said.

Yesterday the U'wa, who say they have never known war or conflict, were jubilant at Oxy's departure and sent a defiant message to the west. "No one destroys man. Man destroys himself. We want to continue reflecting to avoid the destruction of the world because the U'wa want to continue to live," said a spokesman.
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