Indigenous groups completed a week on the streets of Ecuador this Sunday (19), with marches, road blocks and episodes of violence in protests against policies of the government of conservative President Guillermo Lasso and the increase in fuel prices.
This weekend, a cargo plane provided by the Colombian government, with a capacity of 2.5 tons, carried out the first two flights to transport food and medicine from the capital to Cuenca, 620 kilometers to the south, in order to break the blockades of the highways serving the region.
“We are not going to stop. We started the airlift to maintain the supply of medicines and food in the main cities of the country. We will continue to make as many flights as necessary”, said the Minister of Production, Júlio José Prado, on Twitter.
This Monday (20), the National Assembly will analyze the emergency decree announced by Lasso for the provinces of Pichincha, where the capital is located, Ibabura and Cotopaxi, the most affected by the demonstrations. The measure, which enables Lasso to mobilize the Armed Forces to maintain internal order, suspend citizens’ rights and decree a curfew, is valid, in principle, for 30 days.
The decree, which includes a nighttime curfew in the capital, had no practical effect, and indigenous people held protests in at least 14 of the country’s 24 provinces over the weekend.
Even so, the mayor of Quito, Santiago Guarderas, addressed in a letter to the National Assembly to ask that the Parliament not revoke the presidential decree. “I hold those parliamentarians who vote in favor of the repeal of the state of exception responsible for the consequences it may have for the peace and security of the city. The capital cannot be left defenseless,” he wrote.
The fear of the government and analysts is that there will be a new “October 2019”, when protests against the cut of fuel subsidies left 11 dead, 1,507 injured and 1,330 arrested.
The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (Conaie) leads the protests for the reduction of fuel prices after the 90% increase in the value of a gallon of diesel, which reached US$ 1.90 (R$ 9.79), and 46% of regular gasoline (now at US$ 2.55, or R$ 13.14) between May 2020 and October 2021. Since last year, the entity has proposed that prices be reduced to US$ 1.50 and US$ 2.10, respectively.
In addition to gasoline prices, protesters protest against the renegotiation of rural workers’ debts with banks and against unemployment and the granting of mining licenses on indigenous lands.
On Saturday (18), the president of Conaie, Leonidas Iza, said that the group would remain on the streets. “We confirm the struggle on a national level, on an indefinite basis,” he said. Conaie participated in protests that deposed three heads of state between 1997 and 2005 and led the demonstrations in 2019.
The protests have also impacted the export of flowers, an important economic activity in the country. According to Expoflores, which brings together companies in the sector, each day of stoppage has caused losses in the range of US$ 2.5 million (R$ 12.8 million).
Under pressure, Lasso, who has been in power for a year, also announced on Friday an increase from US$50 (R$257) to US$55 (R$283) in economic assistance to low-income families. In addition, the Executive ordered the forgiveness of overdue loans of up to US$ 3,000 (R$ 15,500) granted by the state bank for productive development and must subsidize up to 50% the price of agricultural urea, a fertilizer used in the field, to small and medium producers.
Through social networks, Iza said that Conaie celebrates “the points where there is progress. Although they are insignificant, they will help in something”, he said. According to the entity, he had his car shot on Saturday. “He [Iza] it is good. With this we alert to the state of emergency and the belligerent attitude of the government,” the group said on Twitter. Authorities declined to comment.
In 2021, poverty in Ecuador reached 27.7% of the population, and extreme poverty reached 10.5%. Rural areas are the most vulnerable.
