Indigenous leaders and the Government of Ecuador met yesterday in an attempt to defuse the massive protests that completed two weeks of pressure to demand relief against the high cost of living.
(Also read: Ecuador: indigenous protests continue despite the withdrawal of the state of exception)
In a second approach, members of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (Conaie) and the Minister of Government, Francisco Jiménez, spoke at the Basilica of the National Vote in Quito about “that we can somehow have a policy that can benefit the poor more”said Leonidas Iza, president of Conaie.
About thirty representatives of different organizations, including the Church and the Ombudsman, also surrounded the dialogue table.
(It may interest you: Ecuador remains in suspense after 14 days of indigenous protest)
“Indigenous peoples have really been insulted,” continued Iza during the meeting, a representative of more than 14,000 indigenous people protesting in Ecuador with a range of demands and a spearhead: reduce fuel prices that made freight more expensive in agricultural regions and led the peasants to harvest at a loss.
The government yields to requests
Before the list of demands, the Government announced yesterday the reduction in gasoline prices by 10 cents per dollar, leaving a gallon of diesel at 1.80 dollars and gasoline at 2.45. The protesters, however, are demanding that the cost be lowered to $1.50 and $2.10, respectively.
At the same time, The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock reported that the reference price of a ton of sugar cane produced in the country will go from 31.70 to 35.05 dollarswhich represents the first increase in seven years for this product.
This increase, according to an official government statement, will only benefit farmers and sugar mills.
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