On the eighth consecutive day of protests, Indigenous protesters marched through the Ecuadorian capital of Quito, prompting President Guillermo Lasso to extend the state of emergency to six out of 24 provinces. As protesters expressed their continued anger against the government’s economic policies, Lasso has sought to project the demonstrations as a battle between “chaos” and democracy, vowing to “defend the capital.”
In a tweet on Monday, Lasso stressed, “As President, I always seek dialogue, but I will not allow it to affect those who wish to work.” In a video, he said that he is “always open to dialogue” and “listening to the needs of the Ecuadorians, especially the most vulnerable.” He claimed that the government has already met the demands of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) but protesters have responded with “new threats” by “attacking” Quito.
In another video, Lasso alleged that some protesters “don’t want peace” which has led to a “battle against democracy.” Furthermore, he argued that the protests are an attempt to “get rid of the president,” before asserting that he will not “run away.”
The government thus expanded the emergency decree from three to six provinces, and also imposed a nighttime curfew in Quito. “With this decision, the welfare of citizens is safeguarded in the face of violence,” it said.
The ‘state of exception’ allows Lasso to call on the army to maintain law and order, suspend civil rights, and declare curfews.
Violent protests erupt in #Ecuador against the policies of Pres. #LassoGuillermo. Indigenous groups (read: leftist rebel rousers) demand a gov't response to resolve rising fuel prices and the cost of living. Take a look at the chaos:pic.twitter.com/eAwvTJ2oq2
— Steve Hanke (@steve_hanke) June 14, 2022
Protests in the country first began on June 13, as Indigenous communities, led by CONAIE presented a list of 10 demands to the government to address the rising cost of living, contain surging food and fuel prices, prevent the further expansion of Ecuador’s oil and mining industry, and provide debt relief to poor families.
Anti-government demonstrators arrived in Quito late on Sunday, marching across the city shouting slogans of “out Lasso, out.” The protests have caused road blockades; clashes between police and protesters have thus far resulted in 79 arrests, leaving 55 injured and one dead.
The National Police claims that 63 of its officers have been wounded in the clashes and 21 others briefly held hostage by the demonstrators in the last week. In addition, it has refuted claims that its security forces were responsible for the death of any protesters, saying, “three demonstrators fell into a ravine and one of them died, but not in a confrontation.
President Lasso’s government first declared a “state of exception” on Friday in three provinces—Imbabura, Cotopaxi, and Pichincha—for a period of 30 days. This has now been expanded to span six of the 24 provinces in Ecuador.
The National Police on June 14 also detained CONAIE leader Leónidas Iza, charging him for the crime of “stopping a public service.” He was later released due to mounting public pressure, with the protests further intensifying.
🇪🇨 Hermanos/as, pueblos, organizaciones y sectores movilizados a nivel nacional, no permitamos que nuestra lucha legítima se dañe por la violencia y el vandalismo. Tenemos una agenda clara que busca resultados concretos, actuemos en unidad.#ParoEcuador2022#Ecuador pic.twitter.com/mFfgYVEi8L
— Leonidas Iza Salazar Oficial (@LeonidasIzaSal1) June 18, 2022
Police also raided the headquarters of the Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana (an Indigenous cultural centre in Quito) over suspicions of demonstrators storing ammunition and explosives, as revealed by the Attorney General’s office. The centre had earlier sheltered citizens during October 2019 anti-government protests in the country.
CONAIE denounced the raid as an attempt to “imprison and attack social leaders and criminalise the National Strike.” It has also alleged attacks on Iza’s vehicles, denounced increased surveillance, and reported cyber attacks on its website.
To this end, the group has described the imposition of the “state of exception” by the President as a “desperate act,” with Iza calling on Indigenous communities to continue the strike “with an indefinite character, with a clear agenda of 10 issues.”
Ecuador: Police in Quito launched tear gas at paramedics while they provided first aid to a patient who was impacted by a tear gas canister to the chest. Paramedic reports 12 injured at this protest site tonight. pic.twitter.com/cvIp7BIYlh
— Kawsachun News (@KawsachunNews) June 18, 2022
Meanwhile, Amnesty International’s Americas director, Erika Guevara-Rosas, has also urged President Lasso to “stop the stigmatisation and repression of those who exercise their right to peaceful protest and address the structural causes that have led various sectors of the population to demonstrate to defend their human rights.”
The global rights group has accused the government of indulging in excessive use of force, arbitrary arrests of protesters, attacks on journalists and intimidation, “causing a human rights crisis reminiscent of the one in October 2019.”
It also condemned the presidency for supporting a march on June 18 that targeted the Indigenous protesters while a state of emergency was in place and freedom of association suspended. A video of the incident shared on social media that was later deleted showed the counter-protesters making racist remarks against the Indigenous demonstrators.
No "llegamos" a Kitu, aquí hemos estado siempre, solo venimos por millares por una causa justa ante el mal gobierno.
— CONAIE (@CONAIE_Ecuador) June 20, 2022
No venimos a destruir, queremos respuestas y beneficios para todas y todos.
Rechaza el odio, el racismo y el vandalismo.
El #ParoNacionalEc2022 sigue. pic.twitter.com/E1M6TQPHGK
Along these same lines, the Alliance of Ecuadorian Human Rights Organizations has documented 39 types of human rights violations against protesters.
Lasso has attempted to resolve protesters’ frustrations by freezing diesel prices at $1.90. He also announced a 50% increase in fertiliser subsidies for small farmers, improved support for vulnerable and poor families, and loan waivers worth up to $3,000.
Iza, however, had said that these proposals can only partially resolve the issues, and raised doubt about whether these changes will actually be implemented. CONAIE continues to demand that diesel and gas prices respectively be cut to $1.50 a gallon and $2.10 a gallon. It has also called for food price controls and debt relief on personal loans for four million families.
In this regard, Lasso has said, “I called for dialogue and the response was more violence. There is no intention to seek solutions.”
Con transparencia y total compromiso con los ecuatorianos, presento cada una de las acciones tomadas como Gobierno a los puntos manifestados por la @CONAIE_Ecuador.
— Guillermo Lasso (@LassoGuillermo) June 21, 2022
Hilo (1/3) ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/83bpygYzNZ
The President in fact faces an uphill task to retain his popularity among the citizenry as well as in the National Assembly, given that he leads a minority government. In fact, his decision to enact the ‘state of exception’ was met with strong opposition by opposition lawmakers.
Widespread protests come amid rising inflation, unemployment, and poverty, all of which have been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. Moreover, the ongoing protests have caused major economic disruptions and are reported to have resulted in 78,000 barrels in lost output for the oil industry.
In fact, state-owned oil firm Petroecuador on Saturday was forced to halt production, exploration, and exports after protesters entered oil fields, costing the productive sector up to $50 million.