Dragons blood latex (Sangre de Drago) is obtained from a variety of species from an Amazonian tree Croton lechleri. Due to its anti-inflammatory and cicatrizing properties, it has been used since ancient times by indigenous peoples of the Amazon Basin. In 1991 the pharmaceutical company Shaman Pharmaceuticals Inc. arrived at the province of Pastaza (located in the southern Ecuadorian Amazon) with the intention of carrying out ethno-botanic research about dragons blood. Its final objective was to obtain some active ingredient that could be first patented, and then commercialized. In exchange, indigenous communities and peoples who collaborated would be compensated. Due to past experiences regarding patenting and bio-prospecting activities, Ecuadorian indigenous organizations refused to participate. They said that indigenous knowledge is shared by all the indigenous peoples of the Amazon Basin and therefore could not be patented by any company. As a result, the company sought the support from the communities that were not affiliated to the main indigenous organizations. It could then begin with its activities in the Pastaza region. This triggered a conflict between the company and the indigenous organizations

The aim of Shaman Pharmaceuticals was to establish agreements with indigenous communities in order to exploit the dragons blood tree. In 1993 eleven indigenous communities committed themselves to provide the pharmaceutical with the latex. The company agreed to pay them 22 US$ per gallon of latex.