Thousands of protesters clashed this Friday (24) with police and military personnel in front of Ecuador’s Congress in Quito, on the twelfth day of protests led by indigenous groups against the country’s government. Protesters attacked Parliament with rocks and fireworks, and were responded to with tear gas by security forces at the scene.
The protests, which began on June 13, have already resulted in at least six civilian deaths, as well as several attacks on security forces. There were violent clashes during the night of Thursday (23), in addition to incidents in the afternoon of this Friday.
Pressure has been building on conservative President Guillermo Lasso after nearly two weeks of protests against high fuel and food prices, and a group of opposition lawmakers is already moving to try to remove the president from power. The deputies are part of the opposition movement Unes, loyal to former leftist president Rafael Correa.
The protests have worsened Lasso’s already hostile relationship with the National Assembly, which has blocked the president’s key economic proposals. The constitution allows lawmakers to remove presidents and call elections during a political crisis or mass unrest.
“The country can’t take it anymore,” said Fausto Jarrin, from Unes, who formally asked Parliament to convene a debate on the removal process. “Dialogue is being broken on all sides, with violence.” According to him, the election has the support of parliamentarians from other parties. Removing Lasso would require the support of 92 of the Assembly’s 137 lawmakers, but Lasso could also dissolve the legislature and call elections.
The government has criticized Unes’ action, insisting it has made significant concessions and is willing to discuss the protesters’ agendas. Lawmakers from three other parties, including Lasso’s, rejected the idea of ​​toppling him and said they supported dialogue between the government and indigenous groups.
Despite some government concessions, there are few signs of rapprochement between authorities and protesters, who are led by the Conaie indigenous group. Indigenous leaders demanded the withdrawal of security forces and an end to emergency measures implemented in six provinces, only to then discuss a list of ten indigenous demands, which include lower fuel prices and interruption of oil and mining activities.
Lasso, in turn, announced subsidies for agricultural fertilizers, forgiveness of bank debts and budget increases for health and education. Conaie met this Friday to assess the government’s response to its demands.
In a video broadcast on social media on Friday afternoon, Lasso tried to discredit Leonidas Iza, leader of the indigenous group, and said he was committed to addressing indigenous concerns and encouraging protesters to return home. “Senor Iza’s real intention is to overthrow the government,” said the president. “The National Police and the Armed Forces will act with the necessary measures of defense in terms of the law, using the progressive use of force.”
To journalists, Interior Minister Patricio Carrillo justified the episodes of violence recorded by security forces by saying that the government is not fighting protesters, but criminals armed with firearms who have infiltrated the marches.
Seventeen soldiers were injured and three vehicles were burned when a military convoy trying to help truck drivers transporting food and medicine to the capital Quito was attacked, officials said. Quito residents say that supplies of cooking gas are running low, as are products in supermarkets.
