Ecuador's congress authorizes oil drilling in Yasuni reserve in Amazon
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Lawmakers in Ecuador on Thursday authorized the extraction of oil from Yasuni National Park, a pristine Amazon reserve.
After a 10-hour debate, a loyalist congress approved President Rafael Correa's plan by a 108 to 25 margin, with four legislators absent.
Correa in August announced that he was abandoning a unique plan to persuade rich countries to pay Ecuador not to drill in the Yasuni, saying wealthy nations had failed to pledge enough money.
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Environmentalists had hailed the initiative when it was announced in 2007, saying Correa was setting a precedent in the fight against global warming by lowering the high cost to poor countries of preserving the environment.
Correa had sought $3.6 billion in contributions to maintain a moratorium on Yasuni drilling. But he said Ecuador managed to raise just $13 million.
It's unclear when drilling would begin.