Ecuador: Police Crack Down on Workers, Students, Doctors

Ecuador’s National Police Wednesday cracked down hundreds of workers who were holding a march to demand the payment of their unpaid wages and reject President Lenin Moreno.

RELATED:

Ecuador: Indigenous People, Farmers Join Protest Against Moreno

Orlando Perez, host of the teleSUR program En Clave Politica, published a video showing when a police truck fired jets of water at the protesters who arrived at Santo Domingo Square in downtown Quito.

"Once again, the Moreno administration and its Interior Minister Maria Paula Romo violently repress a march, which was called under the slogan 'all struggles come together', by various social groups that demand attention to their needs," he tweeted.

The demonstration, which was summoned by the Frente Unitario de Trabajadores (FUT), began amid heavy rain that fell in the country's capital during the afternoon.

Hundreds of citizens joined the demonstration to reject budget cuts and layoffs of workers prompted by the policies recommended by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which are being implemented by the right-wing administration to access a US$6.5 billion loan.

The meme reads, "Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE): We support the struggle of over 3,000 graduate doctors who demanded their rights and decent jobs. We totally reject the Moreno administration which cracks down on those who save lives during the pandemic. Neoliberal policies against the people are being radicalized."

"The people protest against an indolent government that remains immutable to their needs," the Ecuadorian Confederation of Free Trade Unions (CEOLS) President Angel Sanchez said.

“Labor Minister should not allow thousands of public and private workers to be laid off. They do not have a decent income now. That's why we say, 'enough corruption, enough layoffs'."

During the march, students and physicians also protested against budget cuts that affect public universities and health centers.

For a week, access roads to the government headquarters have been blocked with barbed wire to prevent the entry of citizens, as reported by local outlet Wambra.