Ecuador: National Strike Remains Strong After 10 Days

On Wednesday, people continued to arrive in the capital city from nearby provinces. They remain concentrated protesting in the El Ejido park area and near the universities.

The national strike called by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) reached 10 days of massive protests on Wednesday and will continue in force given that President Guillermo Lasso refused to repeal the "State of Emergency."

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Thousands of demonstrators increase the pressure in the militarized streets of Quito while social organizations continue to demand that the government satisfy their list of demands, among which is a reduction in fuel prices. 

Throughout the day, people continued to arrive in the capital city from nearby provinces. They remain concentrated protesting in the El Ejido park area and near the universities.

On Wednesday afternoon, some 10,000 protesters staged a peaceful march to the government headquarters, which remain heavily guarded by security forces and fenced off with barbed wire

fences. Activities in the capital city have been markedly reduced as a result of the national strike.

The tweet reads, "Thousands of protesters arrive in Quito to demand the end of the Lasso administration. International human rights organizations denounced a strong police repression against the protests that have been taking place in Ecuador since June 13."

The CONAIE President Leonidas Iza reiterated the willingness of indigenous organizations to dialogue without intermediaries if there are guarantees that the government will fulfill the commitments that the parties could eventually reach. This, however, cannot be done since the Presidency of the Republic announced that Lasso is with COVID-19.

The announcement was interpreted by opponents as a maneuver to avoid "showing up" at a time when citizen approval of the Lasso administration is at minimum levels. Meanwhile, the political environment continues to get more tense.

On Wednesday night, the upper and middle classes called for demonstrations against the presence of Indigenous people in the capital city. These social groups also starred in a "pot banging" calling for "peace."

Paradoxically, however, the Lasso suporters are also spreading hate speech against those who participate in the national strike, whom "The Good People" call "terrorists." .