Ecuador Erupts against Neoliberalism

Episode: Ecuador Erupts against
Neoliberalism


Guest: Camila Escalante of Kawsachun News


Background:


Thousands of indigenous demonstrators marched through Ecuador's
capital on Monday, June 20 urging President Guillermo Lasso to
agree to demands for economic and social support, the latest in a
series of protests that have injured dozens and disrupted the
economy.


Amid a surge in the cost of living, the protests began last
Monday with a list of 10 demands, including a fuel price cut,
preventing further expansion of Ecuador's oil and mining
industry, and more time for small and medium-sized farms to pay
off debt. 


Groups of indigenous protesters began arriving in Quito from
across Ecuador late on Sunday to take part in a march from the
south of the city, shouting "Out Lasso, out" as other citizens
cheered them on.


A large anti-government march was also taking place in Guayaquil,
Ecuador's largest city.


At least 55 protesters have been injured and 79 have been
arrested since protests began, according to the Alliance of Human
Rights Organizations.


The protest was called by the powerful Confederation of
Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), which is credited
with helping topple three presidents between 1997 and 2005.


On June 22, The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of the
Ecuadorian Amazon denounced a killing by police in Puyo, Pastaza
on Tuesday night, the result of the disproportionate and
unjustified use of force, with direct firing at demonstrators.


Additional Links:


WTF is Going on in Latin America & the Caribbean: Ecuador's
COVID-19 Crisis with Guillaume Long, Former Foreign Minister of
Ecuador


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