Ecuador: CONAIE Concerned About the Census On-Site Stage

In a letter sent to the director of the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC), Roberto Castillo, the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) expressed its concern about the on-site stage of the population census being carried out in the country, which will last until December 18.

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The Indigenous organization alerted about the first stage of the census, which was carried out virtually. According to CONAIE, this stage "ended without greater knowledge and participation of the Indigenous peoples."

Regarding the current on-site stage, the organization referred to the importance of the right to self-identification. CONAIE said that the greatest concern in this regard is "the lack of criteria or training of the 18,000 census takers to interact with the Indigenous peoples and nationalities."

This issue brings to light the importance of hiring young people from Indigenous communities. CONAIE said: "We ask that the participation of our sisters and brothers be made concrete."

The tweet reads, "Ecuador 2022 Census cannot mean a statistical genocide, nor a political or judicial tool.  After meetings with the authorities, we conveyed our concerns." 

The Indigenous organization urged ratification of the intercultural and plurinational approach of the Ecuadorian State, where 18 Indigenous peoples and 15 nationalities live. 

INEC is requested to recognize the members of the Indigenous community as collective subjects and holders of rights with respect to their organizational structure. 

The census should not be "a statistical genocide, nor a political or judicial tool," said CONAIE, claiming the need to have results that "demonstrate the social, labor, economic, political, health, education and food gaps faced by Indigenous, Black, and Creole populations for having the highest poverty indicators."