The Government of Ecuador and the indigenous movement yesterday signed an act that put an end to the protests over the cost of livingwhich includes an agreement where the Executive partially accepts the demands that led to a mobilization that lasted 18 days and left six dead, including a soldier, and some 500 injured among protesters and security forces.
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The agreement was achieved thanks to the mediation of the Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference, which held talks with both parties until reaching various concessions by the Government, accepted by the indigenous movement to announce the end of the demonstrations.
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The firm was in danger in moments when part of the members of the indigenous movement disagreed with the points accepted by their leaderswhich caused the act to be suspended for about an hour until there was finally a consensus and the document was signed.
The most controversial point among the indigenous people was the reduction of 15 cents on the dollar for subsidized fuels, since their original demand was 40 cents.
It was accepted, then, that 85-octane gasoline will go on to cost 2.40 dollars per gallon and diesel, 1.75 dollars, despite the fact that the indigenous movement demanded that they be reduced to 2.10 and 1.50 dollars, respectively.
We have been wrong because many times our attitude is violent, but that does not mean that we will always have that attitude.
To this was added the Government’s commitment to repeal a decree that promoted oil activity in the Amazon and to stop mining concessions in protected natural areas, intangible zones, water recharge areas and ancestral territories of indigenous peoples.
The Executive had also approved in previous days to forgive peasant families overdue debts of up to 3,000 dollars, reduce interest on current credits, subsidize up to 50 percent the cost of urea, increase from 50 to 55 dollars a bonus for families in vulnerability, double the budget for intercultural education and declare the health system an emergency.
The rest of the ten points of the list of demands of the indigenous movement will be dealt with in working groups, such as the forgiveness of debts of up to 10,000 dollars, the control of prices of basic necessities and the non-privatization of state companies.
In exchange for the cessation of the protests, the Government promised to repeal the new state of exception decreed on Wednesday in four provinces of the country where several episodes of violence and shortages of essential products such as fuel and medical oxygen were concentrated.
90-day term
The act was signed on behalf of the Executive by the Minister of Government, Francisco Jiménez, and on behalf of the indigenous movement by Leonidas Iza, president of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie).
It was also signed by the presidents of the National Confederation of Peasant, Indigenous and Black Organizations (Fenocin), Gary Espinoza, and the Council of Evangelical Indigenous Peoples and Organizations of Ecuador (Feine), Eustaquio Toala.
“We have made a mistake because many times our attitude is violent, but that does not mean that we will always have that attitude (…). Both parties have made mistakes, but it is courageous to admit mistakes,” Toala said.
In turn, Iza admitted that the act does not include all the demands, but highlighted that it has “important achievements”, while asking that there be no criminalization in justice against the participants in the protests.
“Enough of continuing to stigmatize and ‘racialize’ social activists. Stop calling us terrorists,” added Iza, who warned that they will call for mobilizations again if they do not see the agreement fulfilled in 90 days.
INTERNATIONAL WRITING
*With information from Efe and AFP
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