The Lenin-Correa pulse marks the crisis in Ecuador

• Ecuador.Lenín Moreno decrees the state of exception for protests against the rise of fuels
• Ecuador: Ecuador issues another prison order against former President Rafael Correa

Ecuador looks like its volcanoes , almost always soft and calm. Until they explode. And when he does it is unstoppable, as History shows: eight presidents in a single decade, several of them lying down by coups and protests, like those he lives in the last hours. The economic measures proclaimed on Monday by President Lenin Moreno, which include the rise in the price of fuel, immediately caused the street explosion of carriers and the consequent proclamation of the state of emergency for two months.

Buses, taxis and the school service not only stopped working immediately, but became barricades in the middle of the streets . The national strike was able to paralyze part of the economic activities, also education and leisure, as if it were a remake of those years full of tension. Violence seized some areas, such as southern Quito or Guayaquil.

"The task of my presence is to prevent those who looted the country from continuing to plunder Ecuador. We will not allow it. To these coup-makers, Ecuador is telling them no. They embrace the consequences, " said Moreno, decided to change history, after traveling to Guayaquil, the second city in the country, where riots and looting took place for a total of 150 detainees and 21 injured police, according to official data. The figure later rose to 275 captured throughout the country.

The leaders of the transport, famous for their tricks and little loved by the people, ordered the national strike and the blockade of streets. At any price, as always. From the first moment they had the full support of former President Rafael Correa , leader of the Citizen Revolution and former political leader of Moreno, today irreconcilable enemies. From his exile in Belgium, where he flees from Ecuadorian justice, the politician who ended the long chain of resigned or dismissed presidents urged his followers to continue in the struggle : "We will win, everything is a matter of time. To resist, colleagues Hold on Ecuadorians, that the citizen revolution will come back. "

The most controversial measure is undoubtedly the new price of extra gasoline , the most consumed in the country, which costs $ 2.22 a gallon (3.78 liters) from $ 1.85 earlier thanks to the subsidy of the State. Greater is the increase in diesel, which goes from $ 1.03 per gallon to $ 2.27. The package includes the reduction of the vacation period of public employees (from 30 to 15 days) and the downward adjustment in the salary of casual workers. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) came early in March with a loan of 10 billion in aid from the government of Lenin, former vice president of Correa, but required him to undertake these economic measures.

The tension was immediately passed to the riots, with a large police and military presence in the streets. The forceful action of the government forces caused the "concern" of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (Cidh), given the "excessive use of force , as evidenced by the images of repression of social protests." At least a score of wounded, in addition to 20 assaulted journalists, marked the first day (Thursday) of riots and abundant traffic cuts.

Yesterday, during the second day, the Armed Forces surprised the country by offering citizens free transportation throughout the country. The follow-up was uneven throughout the country, with the government adding areas to its control despite the fact that indigenous organizations joined the national strike.

The police arrested yesterday one of the leaders of the transport, Jorge Calderón, accused of "paralysis of the public service". "This measure is indefinite. I hope the president will make the right decision," said Abel Gómez, president of the National Federation of Passenger Interprovincial Transportation Cooperatives. The Prosecutor's Office warned that the criminal punishment against anyone who prevents or hinders the provision of a public service can be up to three years in prison.

The Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference, meanwhile, called for dialogue between the parties to a conflict while society attended with fear of escalating events. The semifinal match between Liga de Quito and Emelec de Guayaquil, one of the summits of local football, was suspended for the same reasons. Also the Cycling Tour.

But beyond the political conspiracies and the economic interests of the carriers, Ecuador suffers an economic deterioration that bears some resemblance to that of Argentina: neither Macri nor Moreno have been able to rebuild the economy after the Kirchner and Correa stages . In fact, Moreno has opted for the current "package", as his detractors call it, convinced that it is the best way to cross the financial desert. His government aims to improve public coffers by saving $ 1.4 billion each year with its economic package.

From his shelter, Correa called out to the streets, for which he had the support of Nicolás Maduro, so allergic to protests in his country and so lively when it comes to his old friends: " Enough of IMF packets! Enough of misery! "

Beyond the revolutionary appeals, the fate of the current government will depend on how the citizens, with their pockets poised, are placed between both sides in the contest. And one last detail of the new times: Uber Ecuador, going against the tide, supported mobility in Quito and Guayaquil by keeping their vehicles on the streets and limiting rates, despite the inconveniences. A decision applauded by society.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

• Nicolás Maduro
• Argentina
• Ecuador

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