June 21, 2022
photo: Radio LaCalle
With more repression, raids and mobilizations throughout the country, Ecuador reaches its ninth consecutive day of protests with new statements by the Minister of Defense, Luis Lara, accusing indigenous organizations of putting “democracy at risk”.
As part of the National Strike, thousands of peasants began to arrive Monday night in Quito in support of the movement called by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (Conaie) against the economic management of President Guillermo Lasso.
Conaie itself denounced a violent attack, with at least one death, carried out by police forces against demonstrators who have been conducting a national strike against the Government for a week.
“The Confederation of the Kayambi People, denounces and rejects the brutal repression of the @PoliciaEcuador in the north of the country,” denounced that organization, which is part of the Conaie on its Twitter account.
The president of Conaie, Leonidas Iza, assured that they will remain in struggle and resistance, but also stressed that they remain open to dialogue and will be open to this mechanism until the end.
Likewise, the indigenous peoples and nationalities called on the National Government to stop state violence.
Iza emphasized that military force cannot be adopted as a mechanism of repression, but that Conaie’s position will be to remain open to dialogue and to exhaust all political procedures: “dialogue, proposals and the right to resistance”.
The Conaie, which called for an indefinite social mobilization on June 13, has presented a list of demands with ten demands which include the freezing and reduction of fuel prices, price control, prevention of privatizations and avoidance of labor flexibilization, among others.
This Tuesday, Minister Lara warned that “Ecuador’s democracy is at serious risk”, at a time when social protests are intensifying around the country.
“Ecuador’s democracy is at serious risk before the concerted action of some people who prevent the free movement of the majority of Ecuadorians,” he said in a statement to the press.
Lara said from the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense, in Quito, that “the Armed Forces will not allow any attempt to break the constitutional order or any action against democracy and the laws of the Republic”.
Source: Telesur, translation Resumen Latinoamericano – English