RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno declared yesterday, October 3rd, a state of exception in the country, in response to the strike declared by the Transport Union in protest against the increase in fuel prices and the package of economic measures that the government has implemented under the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“To ensure the safety of citizens and prevent chaos, I have established a state of exception at the national level,” Moreno said in a statement to the press at the Carondelet Palace, the seat of the Ecuadorian executive.
The announcement comes amid a general upheaval in Ecuador, with representatives of student, indigenous and worker organizations organizing demonstrations to protest the elimination of fuel subsidies, among other economic measures.
Lenín Moreno said that the vindication of rights must not jeopardize the rights that are truly “essential for the progress of the country: work, education and free mobility”.
The president reiterated his willingness to engage in talks, a process he said had been applied in the country since the first day of his government and stressed that he would not accept blackmail and would act in accordance with the law.
María Paula Romo, the government’s minister, said that 19 people were arrested for abuses during the demonstrations on Thursday morning.
María Paula explained that the state of exception ensures that citizens may mobilize and that products reach their destination. “[The state of exception] is not to interrupt citizens’ movement, but rather to ensure it,” she emphasized.
Classes suspended
The government has also announced the suspension of academic activities, both yesterday and today in all universities, polytechnics, technical and higher-technology institutes, and conservatories throughout the country.
The protests continued yesterday afternoon after Minister María Paula Romo confirmed that the decision to increase fuel prices will not be reviewed.
In the city of Guayaquil, the Metrovía municipal transport system suspended services in the afternoon to ensure the safety of passengers. It was the only transport system in operation in the city after the carriers’ demonstrations. In this city, looting was reported in commercial establishments.
The protests also disrupted passengers arriving in the capital, Quito, through the Mariscal Sucre Airport, due to the blocking of access roads.
Source: Agência Brasil