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News > Ecuador

Ecuador: Roads Blocked, Media Silence as National Strike Hits 2nd Day

  • “Out with Lenin” was chanted by protestors across the country.

    “Out with Lenin” was chanted by protestors across the country. | Photo: Mauricio Zambrano

Published 16 July 2019
Opinion

Major roads were blocked during Tuesday’s demonstrations in large provinces such as Guayas, Manabi, Cotopaxi, Esmeraldas, Azuay and in both entry points to the capital city Quito. 

As the national strike called for this week in Ecuador, by social and political organizations, enters its second day Tuesday, major roads were blocked and manifestations were reported all across the country including the country’s capital, Quito.

RELATED:
Ecuador: Workers, Farmers Launch National Strike Against Moreno’s Gov’t

“We voted for Moreno to maintain social expenditure not to sign a deal with the IMF to the detriment of wellbeing...as workers, we reject the labor reform proposed by the banking and private sector,” Joaquin Chiluisa, a union leader from the health sector told teleSUR. 

Major roads were blocked during Tuesday’s demonstrations in large provinces such as Guayas, Manabi, Cotopaxi, Esmeraldas, Azuay and in both entry points to the capital city Quito. 

“The country is still protesting against (Lenin) Moreno's government and national media outlets do not publish anything .. why would that be?” the National Campesino Movement (Fecaol) tweeted Tuesday. 

Despite ongoing protests and the hashtag #ParoNacional (national strike) becoming Ecuador’s trending topic, large private and public media have given little or no coverage to the demonstrations

Since Fecaol launched the five-day national strike Monday, the National Citizens Assembly (ANC), the Confederation of Indigenous Organizations (FEI), various workers’ unions, left-wing Social Compromise party and other social organizations have joined the call. 

“We don't want a centralized government, we don't want privatizations in health or education. The people are everyone more than one ethnicity, not just one group,” an Amazonic Shuar leader told teleSUR’s correspondent during a rally.

The organizations that have joined the strike emphatically denounce the path Moreno’s administration has taken in order to fulfill the IMF’s conditionalities, as part of the “recipe” used by the neoliberal model. 

Some of these devices include nationwide austerity measures, massive layoffs, the proposal to raise four points to the national sale tax from 12 to 16 percent, a private sector-led proposal to eliminate workers’ rights and bring about labor flexibilization, privatization of public goods and services, and dismissing the Constitution to deal with transnational companies, mainly in mining. 

As transport and trucking unions set to join the strike, it was denounced on Monday that one of the transporters’ leaders, Omar Delgado, and his son were arrested. The National Federation of Taxi Operators of Ecuador has announced to go on strike on Wednesday.  

“Our Police is used to arrest national leaders that strike against the IMF. Today was Omar Delgado and his son, tomorrow it can be anyone. Who guarantees our right to protest?” left-wing legislator from former president Rafael Correa’s party, Marcela Holguin, tweeted. 

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