Valencia: My Homeland

Following Anthony Martial's meeting with a fan who is from the same French town as him, we're running a series of interviews in which Manchester United stars talk about their homelands. Here, Antonio Valencia speaks of a place at the heart of Ecuador’s oil industry and on the edge of the Amazon rainforest…

You were born in Lago Agrio – can you tell us a little bit about that town?
It’s a very small town right on the border with Colombia. The majority of people who live there work in jobs related to the oil business or with Petroecuador [Ecuador’s national oil company]. It’s in the Oriente region, the eastern part of the country and is otherwise known as the Amazonias.

How much has it changed in recent years with the growth of the oil industry?
The town has changed a huge amount. It’s grown in size by at least 100 per cent over the last few years. Let’s hope it can continue to grow and expand, not just in the petroleum business but also in other areas of trade and commerce too. As we are so close to the border with Colombia, there is a lot of work for people there.

And being so close to Colombia, there must be a real mix of cultures in the area…
There is a tremendous mix of cultures there as we all live together there, both Colombians and Ecuadorians. Even a lot of the Ecuadorians living there have come from all different regions of the country as they can find work there in the oil industry. So yes, it’s a lovely mix of people that we have seen growing over recent times. Football is popular, as are swimming and volleyball.

Are the indigenous Cofan people a central part of region’s identity?
Yes, totally – they are the native people from that area. Like thousands of other people, my parents also moved to the Oriente region to live and work, but the Cofan are the original inhabitants and so they are the people who have worked in the Oriente for many, many years.

Do you still have many friends and family there, and how often do you go back?
Yes, I’ve lots of family there and I always go back there whenever I have free time or I’m on holiday. My brothers and sisters still live there and so do my aunts and uncles, along with lots of people who I’ve known since I was a kid and who I grew up with.

What are your favourite parts of the region?
People have to come to the Cuyabeno Reserve [national park] – it’s an incredible place to stay for a holiday. We also have the River Aguarico. I’m inviting everyone in England and especially any Manchester United supporters!

For someone who has never seen the Amazon rainforest, can you describe it?
In an area of just one square kilometre, you can find many different species and I can tell you that it’s an amazing experience to walk through there. If you’ve never had the opportunity to see the pink Amazon River dolphin, then now is the time to come and do so.

Is there any typical food or drink that you’d recommend to tourists?
Well, you have la chicha, which is a drink made from maize and the yucca plant. Then you have the typical food, which is la guanta [a large rodent].