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Ecuador: President declares state of emergency in three provinces due to ‘violent incidents’

Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso announced on Friday that he had declared a state of emergency in three provinces, including the capital Quito, citing violent incidents during the days of mass protests by indigenous peoples. at fuel prices.

“I have pledged to defend our capital and our country. This obliges me to declare a state of emergency in Pitsinca (the province where the capital Quito is administratively administered), Ibabura and Kotopaxi from midnight” (local time; at 08:00 today Greek time), said the head of state during his extraordinary televised sermon.

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.

The demonstrations began on Monday. They are led by the Confederation of Indigenous Peoples of Ecuador (CONAIE), the largest indigenous organization in the country, which calls on the government to reduce fuel prices, price agricultural products, and renegotiate the debts of 4 million peasant families, among others. .

Since the beginning of the week, access to the two main markets in the capital Quito has been blocked, and roads in 15 of the country’s 24 provinces are also closed.

The Ministry of Production estimates that the foreclosures caused losses of $ 50 million.

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

CONAIE starred in the 2019 demonstrations, which were marked by violent incidents with 11 dead, while it also participated in the uprisings that overthrew three presidents from 1997 to 2005.

Earlier Friday, President Lasso received a small delegation of some indigenous organizations – except CONAIE – to try to end the crisis. The incidents reported 43 injuries between protesters and law enforcement forces, while 37 arrests were made.

Conservative Lasso, in power for a year, also announced yesterday an increase from $ 50 to $ 55 in benefits to “improve the situation” of the poorest families, as well as aid to farmers.

Leonidas Isa, leader of CONAIE, rejects the dialogue with the government until he agrees to discuss the list of its demands. Mr Isa argued that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program was being implemented too “strictly” in the country, which exacerbated the impact of rising commodity prices on the poorest part of the population, he said in an interview with Reuters. , which had already been severely tested by the new coronavirus pandemic.

The agreement that Quito had concluded with the IMF is formally completed this year. Under the $ 6.5 billion loan agreement, fiscal adjustment measures were envisaged, in particular tax increases, abolition of subsidies, etc.

The country must take its own path and not the one indicated by the IMF, said the leader of the natives. “The government is committed to presenting positive numbers,” Isa said, adding that “this crisis is affecting everyone.” He insisted that the mobilizations will continue until Mr. Lasso responds to the demands of CONAIE.

Source: AMPE

Source: Capital

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