The Ecuadorian government and the indigenous movement have reached an agreement Sunday to escape the unprecedented social crisis that paralyzed the country for 12 days, thanks to the withdrawal of the controversial decree removing fuel subsidies.
The two sides agreed on the preparation of "a new decree that cancels decree 883" on gasoline, and "with this agreement the mobilization ends," said Arnaud Peral, representative in Ecuador. UN, which facilitated dialogue with the Catholic Church. "The measures applied in all our territories are lifted," confirmed the president of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie), Jaime Vargas, face painted and head wearing a wreath of feathers.
The Andean country has been shut down for nearly two weeks, between roadblocks, public transport almost non-existent and Amazonian oil wells at a standstill, forcing Ecuador to suspend distribution by nearly 70% of its production of crude. It has also been shaken by a wave of demonstrations since October 3, seven dead, 1,340 wounded and 1,152 arrests, according to the office of the Ombudsman, a public defender.
The anger of the indigenous community
The indigenous community - a quarter of the population - was spearheading the protest against the economic reforms negotiated with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in exchange for a $ 4.2 billion loan, the measure of which was The most controversial was Decree 883, the effect of which was to double the prices at the pump.
"Native brothers, I have always treated you with respect and affection," President Lenin Moreno said in a sign of appeasement at the opening of the dialogue meeting, broadcast on television. "It was never my intention to affect the poorest sectors (...), the poorest," insisted the head of state, a liberal elected in 2017 under the socialist label. For his part, Jaime Vargas lambasted "the improvisation of economic policy" of the president, noting with regret that "we feel that the right and the IMF manage the country".