After returning to the dialogue table this Thursday (30) with the mediation of the Catholic Church, representatives of the indigenous movement of Ecuador and the government of Guillermo Lasso signed an agreement to end the wave of protests that have occupied the streets of country against rising fuel prices.
Conaie, the largest indigenous organization in the country, stated in a social network that it considers what it calls the first stage of the mobilizations is officially over and that, in 90 days, it will assess the fulfillment of the commitments made with the Ecuadorian government.
The Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference, in reading the minutes, stated that the government had committed to reducing another US$0.05 in the price of a gallon of diesel and gasoline, bringing the total reduction to US$0.15 — the first time. the measure was announced, the protests did not cease. Conaie requested a reduction of US$ 0.40.
Lasso, who has been in the presidency for a year, escaped on Tuesday (28) an impeachment process in the Legislature sought by the opposition, which accused him of inability to deal with the social crisis and the demonstrations, largely led by indigenous people.
The president signed the agreement, which he described as the return of peace to the country. “Now we will begin, together, the task of transforming this peace into progress, well-being and opportunities for all,” he said, who did not participate in the final agreement – the government was represented by Minister Francisco Jiménez.
Lasso had suspended dialogue with protesters. He even called Leonidas Iza, the leader of Conaie, an “opportunist leader” and said that key figures in the protests sought to capitalize on economic dissatisfaction in an attempt to remove him from power.
Conaie celebrated the agreement as a victory for popular mobilization. Although the final price reduction did not correspond to the requested amount, the confederation recalls that other demands were met. Among them is the revocation of a presidential decree that allowed the state to expand the borders of fossil fuel extraction, largely in the Ecuadorian Amazon region.
