First modification:
The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) began an indefinite strike. The most important and historical Ecuadorian indigenous sector returns to the streets to demand that the Government of President Guillermo Lasso urgently comply with ten demands based on economic and human rights issues.
After several critical statements by CONAIE regarding the non-compliance of actions by the Government to combat the increase in the cost of living and about different nuisances that affect rural areas, the most representative indigenous sector in the country began a national strike.
The president of CONAIE, Leonidas Iza, has specified that the peasant bases will remain in their territory indefinitely, preventing the flow of transport in the main connection points between provinces where the indigenous have a presence until the Lasso government responds to their demands.
Since the early hours of June 13, the partial closure of roads has been reported in the main Andean provinces, including Pichincha, whose capital is Quito; Cotopaxi; Tungurahua; Chimborazo, as well as the Amazon province of Pastaza.
So far no serious confrontation or excesses have been reported.
Added to this social claim has been the support of the country’s main trade union movements, such as the Popular Front, as well as the National Union of Educators (UNE), the Federation of University Students of Ecuador, and feminist movements, among others. Each movement has reported different demonstrations in various parts of the country.
The slogan is the same: they reject the government’s neoliberal measures. The main concerns are the rising cost of living in the country, the shortage of medicines and the low budgets for health and education.
The wave of violence that relentlessly hits Ecuadorians and insecurity are also part of the main reasons that mobilize these sectors of the Andean nation.
What does CONAIE claim?
Iza assured that the protest takes place after having exhausted the instances of dialogue with the Government in the appointments made on June 11, October 4 and November 10, 2021.
The president of CONAIE highlighted the ten demands of the strike: the reduction and freezing of the price of fuel; debt refinancing for one year for the agricultural sector; the control in the prices of the products for the field; the non-precariousness of the working day; review of extractivist (mining) projects; respect for collective rights, such as bilingual education and indigenous justice; non-privatization of strategic sectors; control of price speculation; a decent budget for health and education and the generation of public security policies.
At the beginning of the day, between the province of Cotopaxi and Pichincha, Iza has indicated that until the president responds with actions to their demands, the strike will continue.
The Government assures that it will not allow the interruption of roads
President Guillermo Lasso warned through a recorded message that he will prevent the demonstration from generating any altercation in the country.
“We are not going to allow the interruption of roads and highways, we are not going to allow the seizure of oil wells or any public service,” he said. “It cannot be allowed that certain groups that seek to destabilize and fish in troubled rivers, paralyze the country again,” added the president.
For its part, the Ministry of Government ratified on Sunday its opening to dialogue as part of a policy it calls “government of encounter.”
He also called on the demonstrators “to express their opinions peacefully, within the framework of public order, respect for the Constitution and the rule of law.”
Fear of a resurgence of tensions
Although the first day of demonstrations that began this Monday have not registered major incidents and the Government indicated that no arrests have been made, the fear of clashes between protesters and security agents is latent.
It is well known in the region that indigenous people in Ecuador have managed to overthrow a president and that they were the leaders of the most significant demonstrations in the country in recent years.
CONAIE led the protest in October 2019 that put the Government of Lenín Moreno in check. The country was largely paralyzed from October 3 to 13 of that year due to social demands from different sectors of the country.
The protests began with a decree that eliminated historic gasoline subsidies, a measure that was later repealed due to the incidence of social protest. A dozen people died and more than 1,500 were injured, including protesters and members of the security forces.
The demonstrations began due to unrest around fuel prices, but ended up triggering a social outburst against the policy of the Moreno government, who has gone down in the country’s history as the president with the lowest popularity on record.
with EFE
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