Chevron Corporation filed an international arbitration claim Wednesday against the government of Ecuador, essentially arguing that its judicial process is broken and cannot fairly adjudicate the long-running oil pollution litigation that plaintiffs brought in the South American country against Texaco (now a Chevron subsidiary). Last year a court-appointed special master said damages in the case, which is being tried in Lago Agrio, Ecuador, could run as high as $27.3 billion.
The arbitration claim, filed in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, cites Ecuador’s violation of investment agreements, international law, and its treaty with the United States.
