Ecuadorans Reject President Lasso's Increase In Fuel Prices

Ecuador's Workers United Front (FUT) and the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) urged citizens to take to the streets on Tuesday to reject President Guillermo Lasso's economic reforms, which increased fuel prices by 10 percent in less than ten days.

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"On several occasions, social leaders have spoken with Lasso to seek consensus on economic matters. Since we have not achieved any results, we must exercise our right to peaceful protest," the CONAIE President Leonidas Iza stated.

On Friday, Lasso repealed three decrees whereby President Lenin Moreno (2017-2021) allowed fuel prices to increase monthly until they reached international prices. However, he fixed regular gasoline's price at US$2,55 and the diesel's cost at US$1,90, which far exceeds current world market prices.

"Oil is indispensable in all productive and commercial activities. An increase in its cost makes the price of all products more expensive," Iza warned and urged Lasso to set prices at US$1.50 for diesel and US$2 for regular gasoline.

This protest, which is likely to be the largest anti-government demonstration since Lasso took office in May, will occur amid an increase in the paramilitary gangs’ violence, which results from their territorial disputes and power wars.

Although Lasso declared a state of emergency decree to increase military presence in the streets, the gangs' violence against the civil population has not ceased. On Friday, for instance, Olympic athlete Alex Quiñonez and his friend Jojairo Arcalla were shot dead in the Colinas de la Florida town in Guayaquil City.

"Lasso does not listen, does not dialogue, and exacerbates confrontations with a military presence that fails to succeed in intimidating the gangs," Iza warned and assured that anti-government protests will carry on until Lasso meets the citizens' demands.