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Demonstrations continue in Ecuador despite the state of emergency

Despite the declaration of a state of emergency in three provinces after the violent incidents during demonstrations, the indigenous community continued on Saturday to protest against the increase in prices of basic goods, especially fuel.

In defiance of the government of conservative President Guillermo Lasso, the powerful Confederation of Indigenous Peoples of Ecuador (CONAIE), the largest indigenous people in Latin America, continued to block roads in the prefectures .

Roadblocks remained blocked in 14 of the country’s 24 provinces on Saturday, according to the integrated security service ECU911, after the measure was imposed in three provinces.

CONAIE yesterday demanded that parliament lift the state of emergency, “not become an accomplice in repression against the people” via Twitter.

The Constitution of Ecuador theoretically allows the Parliament to annul the presidential decree declaring a state of emergency.

The group, which is leading the protest movement, is urging the government to respond to a list of 10 demands, including reducing fuel prices to $ 1.5 a gallon ($ 3.8 a liter) and $ 2.1 a gallon of petrol. rejecting Quito.

Other demands include controlling food prices and renegotiating loans from banks to some 4 million households.

At least 83 people have been injured and 40 arrested in clashes between protesters and security forces since the start of mass protests on Monday, according to indigenous authorities and organizations.

On Friday night, right-wing President Lasso said he was “committed” to “defending our capital and our country”. “This forces me to declare a state of emergency in Pitsinca, Ibabura and Kotopaxi from midnight (local time; at 08:00 yesterday Greek time),” he said during an emergency televised address.

The measure allows the head of state to develop the armed forces to enforce order, to suspend the constitutional rights of citizens, to impose a curfew.

CONAIE, which starred in the 2019 protests, when violent incidents broke out with 11 dead, and also took part in popular uprisings that overthrew three presidents from 1997 to 2005, said the protests would continue until its demands were heard.

Indigenous are over 1 million of the 17.7 million inhabitants of Ecuador.

Leonidas Isa, leader of CONAIE, was in favor of continuing “the struggle at the national level indefinitely”. At the same time, he called for an end to violence and vandalism.

“Phaedra” measures

Fuel prices have risen sharply in Ecuador since 2020, rising from $ 1 to $ 1.9 a gallon of diesel and from $ 1.75 to $ 2.55 a gallon of gasoline.

The protest, in which students and workers have joined forces, has blocked access to Quito’s two main markets and many roads.

With spears in their hands, the natives of the Amazon also temporarily occupied the headquarters of the local authorities in the provinces of Pastasa and Morona Santiago (southeast), near the border with Peru.

In Quito, nearly 1,000 protesters tried to remove metal fences around the presidency.

Flower growers, one of Ecuador’s main exporters, protested the roadblock the day before yesterday, as their produce was in danger of withering.

“75% of flower growers across Ecuador have not been able to send shipments so far,” a flower exporters’ association said via Twitter.

The Ministry of Production estimates that the protests have caused $ 50 million in damage to the economy.

In an attempt to defuse the crisis, President Lasso received a small delegation of some indigenous organizations – except CONAIE – but the talks seem to have borne little fruit.

On Friday night, the head of state, in power for a year, also announced an increase from $ 50 to $ 55 a month to “improve the situation” of the poorest families, as well as aid to farmers.

Mr. Isa described these measures as “frivolous”, stressing that they leave aside “fundamental issues”.

The country is suffering from inflation, unemployment and poverty, problems that have been exacerbated mainly by the new coronavirus pandemic.

In December, poverty affected 27.7% of the population, extreme poverty 10.5%. Rural areas in the provinces are more vulnerable.

Source: Capital

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