On Monday, the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) announced that it will continue to fight for President Guillermo Lasso to suspend the increase in fuel prices, extend the expiration date of credits contracted by citizens, stop mining in Indigenous territories, and reform his labor flexibilization bill.
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"Our policy alternatives to deal with the economic recession prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic are just and efficient,” the CONAIE President Leonidas Iza stated and condemned Lasso’s continued refusal to approve them.
Indigenous peoples, farmers, workers, and students took to the streets in Quito to support the dialogue between the Lasso administration and the CONAIE. In this round of negotiations, Iza condemned that Ecuador’s financial system earned over US$377 million in 2020, while thousands of families went bankrupt.
"This situation exacerbated the emigration of 100,000 Ecuadorians," he stressed and insisted on the need to adopt policies to generate employment and stabilize prices of basic goods.
To this end, Iza urged Lasso to repeal three decrees whereby President Lenin Moreno (2017-2021) allowed fuel prices to increase monthly until they reached international 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.
Lasso claimed that his administration could not approve these proposals since it needs more time to analyze them. "In a two-hour meeting, we cannot cover all these issues," he stressed.