Last week, the government's elimination of fuel subsidies drove Ecuador into catastrophe, leading to protests, looting, vandalism, clashes with security forces, highway closures and some disruption of the major oil industry.
Indigenous people carry the coffin of the late leader Ino Chencio Tucumbi, who died in a clash in the capital the day before, outside the cultural home of Quito on October 10, 2019.
(AFP)
Thursday, Ecuador's main leader, declined talks with President Lenin Moreno and called for protests against an oil price hike caused by violence that killed five demonstrators.
The call of Jaime Vargas, director of the Aboriginal umbrella group CONAIE, flew in the face of efforts to resume conversations that hindered the country's oil production in a week-long protest by President Lenin Moreno.
Vargas said in a statement that after arresting eight police officers in a close counterattack in Quito, the statement said, "There is no dialogue with the murdering government."
Since arriving in the city last weekend, police officers, including women, were exhibited in front of angry crowds at the Quito & # 39; s House of Culture, a group of indigenous groups.
Some Aboriginal people were wrapped in the Ecuadorian flag and kicked out and defeated one of the Christian Rueda officers who appeared in front of the crowd.
Moreno hoped to resolve the crisis. "Undoubtedly this issue will be resolved soon," he said on a state-run television late Wednesday about the clash between protesters and security forces in the heart of the capital.
The Ombudsman Secretariat reported that the clashes killed four civilians, including indigenous leaders.
"We are calling on national governments to eradicate violence and to exercise social protest rights peacefully," he said.
The first victim was hit by a vehicle in Azuay province on Sunday.
Protesters are calling for Moreno reconstruction fuel subsidies that were suspended after a $ 42 billion loan was agreed with the IMF last week.
After ending the subsidy, fuel prices rose by 120{7be40b84a6a43fc4fae13304fce9a2695859798abfc41afd127b9f8b21c5f9c5} since October 3.
A mourner reacts next to a protester's coffin claiming people were killed in protests against President Lenin Moreno's austerity measures in Quito, Ecuador on October 10, 2019
(Reuters)
The discussion has been aborted
Faced with the president's worst crisis, Moreno moved to the port city Guayaquil on Monday as thousands of Aboriginal people descended into the capital from the Amazon basin and outside the Andes region.
Officials had already discussed with CONAIE leaders in Guayaquil after the mediation of the United Nations and the Roman Catholic Church.
UN governor Antonio Guterres expressed concern about the crisis and called for a "maximum limit."
Guterres said, "According to international law, we call on all actors to recall the right to peaceful assembly, to reduce tensions, to avoid all violent acts and to exercise maximum restrictions."
Moreno offered to free up resources for those who were hit hardest by the rising fuel and said on Wednesday that "unfortunately we talked with our brothers and indigenous people who needed it."
Indigenous groups in Ecuador make up a quarter of the 17.3 million population.
Recent figures from the authorities and the Red Cross showed that 122 people were injured in clashes and 766 were detained, in addition to five deaths.
According to the Energy Ministry, this anxiety threatened to do more damage to the already weakened economy, and to date, the loss of oil production has reached $ 12.8 million.
On Wednesday, the company closed one of its two domestic oil pipelines, effectively shutting down two-thirds of its crude oil distribution.
Protesters seized three oil installations on Amazon earlier this week.
Unexpected support
Moreno, who still claims to be a socialist, received unexpected support from the rights and the military for his uneasy situation.
Guayaquil, the stronghold of the business community, showed support for thousands of presidents on Wednesday.
68-year-old retiree Giovanni Molina said, “The action is harsh, but it had to be done by Rafael Correa's government.
Moreno, along with Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, condemned Correa, his predecessor and former ally, for the "City Coup" using indigenous groups.
Interior Minister Maria Paula Lomo announced on Twitter the arrest of 17 people (mostly Venezuelan) at Quito airport in addition to siege.
"We have information about the movement of the president and vice president," Romo said.
The arrest said, "I confirm all interests in the chaos of this country."
Maduro, the trademark of the left's fire that Washington is trying to drive out, accused the claim of irrationality.
Moreno received new support from neighboring Peru and Chile on Monday after seven other Latin American countries, including Argentina, Brazil and Colombia, warned of Maduro and his allies attempting to "stabilize" Ecuador.
Source: AFP
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