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News > Latin America

Ecuador Faces New Round of Pro and Anti-Government Rallies

  • Turnout for Thursday's rally in the Ecuadorean capital of Quito was lower than previous anti-government protests, Nov. 26, 2015.

    Turnout for Thursday's rally in the Ecuadorean capital of Quito was lower than previous anti-government protests, Nov. 26, 2015. | Photo: @comandodiez

Published 26 November 2015
Opinion

Several hundred anti-government protestors gathered near the National Assembly to call for the withdrawal of a series of constitutional amendments.

Opposition political groups gathered in the Ecuadorean capital of Quito Thursday for a new round of protests against the government of Rafael Correa.

Meanwhile, government supporters gathered at the Plaza Grande in the historic center of the city for a concert to recognize the achievements of the Correa government, which is celebrating the nine-year anniversary of its first triumph at the ballot box.

Thursday's rally was called by opposition-aligned trade unions and the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador, known as Conaie, which has become one of the government's fiercest critics.

Demonstrators are demanding the National Assembly withdraw a series of constitutional amendments, with Conaie President Jorge Herrera telling a local radio station he considers the effort to modify the constitution an “abuse of power.”

However, under the Ecuadorean constitution, certain amendments can be handled without the need for a referendum.

Ecuador's Constitutional Court affirmed in October 2014 that the package of proposed changes could be handled by the National Assembly, as they do not infringe on the rights of citizens.

The most controversial change is the elimination of term limits for political office, which would have opened the door for the incumbent Correa to seek a third term.

However, in order to calm critics President Correa proposed a transitional provision, resulting in the change only applying after 2017, effectively preventing Correa from being able to immediately seek a third term.

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Several hundred protesters gathered Thursday afternoon near the offices of the National Assembly and commenced their march at approximately 5 p.m. local time. Activities inside the building were suspended for the day in light of the protests.

Ahead of the protest organizers made provocative comments, suggesting they would “encircle” the National Assembly building in order to prevent lawmakers from entering and conducting their work.

“They better not think about impeding the advance of the revolution. Here they will find a people that will not allow a few people to return us to the past,” said President Correa in response.

IN DEPTH: Opposition Groups Working to Undermine Ecuador's Democracy

Recent opposition protests in Ecuador have descended into violence, including an August rally that erupted in clashes when anti-government activists attempted to break through police lines in order to reach a pro-government rally that had assembled in front of the Presidential Palace.

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