Three weeks of mobilization in Ecuador end in indigenous victory

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – After 18 days of constant mobilization in hundreds of points of Ecuador, especially in the capital, Quito, the neoliberal and ultraconservative government of Guillermo Lasso and the conveners of the National Strike have reached an agreement to suspend the protests.

For Conaie, the country’s largest social organization and leading promoter of the mobilizations, “the forcefulness” of the National Strike has translated into “important achievements”.

Even though President Lasso “never sat down at the dialogue table, his government was forced to respond to the people”, says this organization, which has a base of several million people and three decades of history.

The main victories of this social movement – allied with the organizations Feine and Fenocin – have been the reduction of the price of Extra and Ecopaís fuels by US$0.15 a gallon, the repeal of the state of emergency, a series of commitments to respect the rights of indigenous peoples in their territories and guarantees that extractive industries will not devastate Ecuador’s natural heritage.

Among these measures is the repeal of Decree 95, which suspends the expansion of the “oil frontier” to protect indigenous peoples’ territories and collective rights, especially in the Amazon, where oil exploitation in Ecuador is concentrated.

This provision was approved on July 7, 2021, intended to double oil production in regions already plagued by occasional spills and other damages linked to the oil industry that endanger the way of life of indigenous peoples.

The agreement with the government implies the prohibition of new concessions in protected areas and indigenous ancestral territories, in zones declared as intangible, archeological zones, and water protection areas.

Another of the achievements of the National Strike, according to Conaie, is the reform of Decree 151, which defines mining policy in the country.

According to a communiqué, the agreement with the Lasso government means the end of mining in protected areas and indigenous ancestral territories, in zones declared as intangible, archeological zones, and water protection areas.

The pact also includes guarantees of a “prior, free, and informed consultation” for economic projects in indigenous communities, strengthening of price control mechanisms “in the market speculation of basic necessities,” and the declaration of an emergency in the public health system with the distribution of resources and medicines in the country’s health centers.

In the mobilizations, which lasted almost three weeks, at least six people died, and other 500 were injured, according to the report “Violation of human rights in Ecuador in the framework of the National Strike 2022.”

The alliance of NGOs and human rights (HR) organizations in charge of this report describes as “heartbreaking” the testimonies collected.

“All coincide, highlighting the repressive violence deployed and the massive attack on the defenseless civilian population. The security forces acted with vigor and impunity in the exercise of repression,” they point out.

Agents of the Order Maintenance Unit “fired directly into the face, horizontally, at close range, with the clear objective of killing,” they point out.

Conaie is wary of the fulfillment of the agreements and warns Guillermo Lasso that they will firmly follow up on what has been agreed. “We do not renounce the right to resistance. If they do not comply, we will return in the millions”.

In the repression of the demonstrations, anti-tumult ammunition, tear gas cartridges, buckshot, and lead bullets were used.

“The abusive, arbitrary and disproportionate criteria of the powers of arrest; the cruel treatment of the detainees, including torture, ill-treatment, inhuman or degrading treatment, constitute special violations aimed at undermining the very human condition,” they denounce.

Despite the commitment made to the government, the convening organizations are wary of the fulfillment of the agreements and warn Guillermo Lasso that they will firmly follow up on what has been agreed.

“We do not renounce the right to resistance. If they do not comply, we will return in millions,” warned the indigenous confederation.

With information from El Salto