• Live
    • Audio Only
  • google plus
  • facebook
  • twitter
News > Ecuador

Ecuador: National Strike Marches Face State Repression

  • This is how the streets of the Historic Center of Quito are on the eve of the beginning of the national strike in protest to the economic policies of President Guillermo Lasso.

    This is how the streets of the Historic Center of Quito are on the eve of the beginning of the national strike in protest to the economic policies of President Guillermo Lasso. | Photo: Twitter/@ReporteYa

Published 26 October 2021
Opinion

The protests today, Tuesday October 26, are expected to be the largest since Guillermo Lasso took office in May.

The first clashes between police officers and citizens who came out to demonstrate on Tuesday were recorded in at least three country points, as part of the National Strike called to protest against the Government of Guillermo Lasso.

In Imbabura, in the canton of Peguche, repression was reported by what is believed to be members of the security forces, who threw tear gas to disperse the citizens who gathered in this sector.

RELATED:

Ecuadorans Reject President Lasso's Increase In Fuel Prices

The incident was recorded in videos circulating on social media, and the Alliance of Organizations for Human Rights denounced the Armed Forces' actions. 

Similarly, social and indigenous organizations, workers' unions and labor unions of Ecuador began in the early hours of Tuesday a new round of protests against the economic policies of President Guillermo Lasso.

The demonstrations, called by the United Workers Front (FUT), the Popular Front (FP) and the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (CONAIE), were joined by organizations such as the Federation of University Students of Ecuador and the National Confederation of Peasant, Black and Indigenous Organizations, among others.

"PAMELA MORANTE IS ASSAULTED BY THE @PoliciaEcuador ‼️ Here, recorded live, the actions of a Police officer while reporting the #ParoNacional, in Daule, Guayas province.

According to the convening organizations, the day of protests demands fair economic and social policies for both workers and lower-income sectors, as well as the freezing of fuel prices and the support to the draft Labor Code recently presented to the Legislative by the FUT and the rejection of the proposed Law for the Creation of Opportunities.

Given the rejection of the increase in fuel cost last Friday, Lasso froze the new prices and suspended the monthly increases; however, he could not reduce the popular discontent.

The protests occurred under a 60-day state of emergency decreed a week ago to support the police fighting against crime.

Meanwhile, the spokesman of the Presidency, Carlos Jijón, announced Tuesday afternoon that 18 people had been arrested so far for disrupting communications by closing roads, indicating that the Government will respect protests but will also prioritize people who want to work.

"The citizens were detained in flagrant offense. The Government has proceeded to capture the people at that moment, but the judges will decide the guilt of those people," said the governmental official.

Comment
0
Comments
Post with no comments.