Well, they probably saw it coming. At Chevron’s annual shareholders meeting yesterday, activists and indigenous tribespeople from around the world berated the San Ramon oil giant’s leadership about a wide variety of alleged environmental and human rights abuses. Where shall we start? Ecuador, where tribal groups have accused Chevron of polluting vast tracts of land and causing cancer and birth defects? Burma, where the company owns part of a natural gas plant and does business with the vicious military junta? According to the Oakland Tribune, the one that really got under CEO David O’Reilly’s skin was Nigeria, where company has been accused of polluting the delta. In 1998, after Nigerian groups took Chevron employees hostage, the local cops shot and killed people who were conducting a protest against the company. One of those who survived took the microphone and accused Chevron of hiring the cops who shot him. Yeah, O’Reilly really didn’t like that. Good thing he has his $31.5 million compensation package to comfort him.
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