But the plan has met with problems, both inside and outside of Ecuador. The state oil company, Peroecuador, opposes the plan and many suspect that President Correa now wishes he had never supported it. At the same time, only a few countries have shown interest, with only Germany promising $800 million over thirteen year
Ecuador is not the only country trying to get richer nations to pay for not exploiting their forests. Both Nigeria and Guatemala are hoping they will be able to make similar deals. A spokesperson for local environmental groups explained, “If only people in developed countries appreciated that these forests absorb a lot of the 〖CO〗_2 that their industries produce. I just wish they would take a longer-term view of this problem If we don’t do something to protect biodiversity and prevent climate change, we will all be lose-with consequences I’d rather not even think about.”