For about two weeks, Ecuador has been witnessing violent protests by the indigenous population, bringing to the fore the complaints of societal discrimination against these citizens, which were the spark for the unrest that occurred previously in a number of Latin American countries.
So far, the protests have left 6 people dead, and the demonstrators have arrived in the capital, Quito, from their rural areas.
Among the most important demands of the protesters are to curb the cost of basic materials, including fuel, stop more mining and oil projects in indigenous areas, not privatize government companies, allow more time for small farmers to repay loans owed to banks, as well as lift the recently imposed state of emergency. In 3 regions, including the capital.
These protests posed a challenge to conservative President Guillermo Lasso, who took office a year ago, and he sees this move as an attempt to overthrow his regime, and the army that supports it issued a warning to the demonstrators, considering that they pose a threat to democracy after the authorities accused the protesters of violence.
But it is clear that the main title of these protests is the objection to the economic and social policies of the government of the Ecuadorean president.
To contain the anger, Lasso promised to increase aid to the most vulnerable sectors, not to raise fuel prices again, and to provide fertilizer subsidies by 50 percent to small and medium farmers, while loans owed to farmers will be forgiven up to $3,000.
According to the 2010 census, the indigenous population in Ecuador constitutes 6.8% of the total population, and belongs to 14 groups, and currently the country's population is more than 18 million, according to the "Worldometer" website, which specializes in statistics.
In 2019, Ecuador witnessed similar protests against lifting subsidies on fuel prices, which resulted in 11 deaths and thousands of injuries, forcing the president at that period, Lenin Moreno, to abandon economic measures negotiated with the International Monetary Fund.
In turn, last April, Brazil witnessed demonstrations by indigenous people in the capital, Brasilia, where a gathering of 8,000 people was held.
the assembly was organized to protest against two bills;
The first opens indigenous lands to mining companies, and the second can change the rules for demarcating indigenous lands.
In October 2021, the coastal province of Izabal, in northern Guatemala, witnessed protests following the approval of a mining project in an indigenous area, as a result of which the country's highest court suspended operations on the project and ruled that indigenous groups in the area had not been properly consulted about the project.
Indigenous people celebrate a new year according to a local calendar in Bolivia (European News Agency)
How many indigenous people in Latin America?
A census dating back to 2010 showed that the number of indigenous people in Latin America was 42 million, equivalent to 8% of the total population, and some recent estimates indicate that the number exceeded 50 million.
They belong to different groups, including the Aymara, the Mapuche, and the Quechua.
Mexico, Guatemala, Peru and Bolivia have 80% of this population.
Mexico is the country among the most diverse in terms of indigenous groups in the region.
According to official or semi-official statistics, the indigenous population in Bolivia constitutes 60%, in Peru 45%, in Chile 10%, in Colombia 58%, in Guatemala 50%, in Mexico 22%, and in Brazil about 0.4% (about 900 thousand person out of the country's total population of about 215 million, according to the latest figures).
What are their economic and social conditions?
According to a World Bank report, indigenous peoples in Latin America suffer from widespread poverty and social and economic discrimination.
The World Bank says that the situation of this group of people is still fragile, although progress has been made in addressing their problems and recognizing their rights.
He adds that these people, although they represent only 8% of the total population, constitute 14% of the poor and 17% of the poorest.
According to studies, the percentage of poverty among indigenous peoples in Latin America is much higher than the percentage found in societies of European origin.
Also, those who live in cities live in neighborhoods with low levels of security and services.
Indigenous peoples march in the Mexican capital to demand the authorities resolve a dispute in their area (European News Agency)
What are their main complaints and demands from the authorities?
Indigenous peoples in Latin America complain of encroachments on their territories and lands, as well as what they see as their marginalization in political life.
For example, a human rights organization stated that about 20,000 indigenous people in Mexico were displaced from their lands, while activists defending their causes were killed or arrested.
Protests and conflicts erupted in more than one country in the region due to mining and energy projects established within their lands.
Because half of Latin America's indigenous people live in the countryside and around forests, such as the Amazon rainforests in Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia, one of their main demands is to protect the environment from the encroachment of big corporations that governments allow them to cut down on trees or to mine for oil and gas.
Former Brazilian President Lula da Silva during his visit to a gathering organized by indigenous people in the capital, Brasilia (Getty)
What gains did the indigenous people get?
Several countries in Latin America, such as Bolivia, Brazil and Mexico, have recognized in their constitutions non-European indigenous communities as indigenous peoples, or have made some of the languages of these communities official languages alongside Spanish.
The Brazilian Constitution of 1988 stipulated that the indigenous people are the natural owners of the land, and set conditions for the exploitation of natural resources in their areas.
As well as Mexico's 1992 constitution, which provided for cultural pluralism in the country, in recognition of the existence of different societies.
Over the past 20 years, Brazil, Mexico and other countries have ratified the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
And in 2008, then-Bolivia's president, Evo Morales, won parliament's approval to call a referendum on a new constitution that would grant more rights to the country's indigenous population.
While the participation of indigenous peoples in political life cannot be matched by that of societies of European descent, some of their descendants have risen to the highest political positions, among them former President Evo Morales, who was the first indigenous president of Bolivia, and who was in power from 2006 until He resigned from his position following widespread unrest in 2019.
In Brazil, an indigenous woman was elected to Congress for the first time.