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End of crisis in Ecuador: "No one is winning in this case"

Conaie President Leonidas Iza (right in red) leaves the headquarters of the Episcopal Conference of Ecuador (CEE) after indigenous leaders and the government reached an agreement to end protests over the cost life, in Quito on June 30, 2022. AFP - RODRIGO BUENDIA

Text by: Murielle Paradon Follow

3 mins

In Ecuador, after 18 days of protests and blockades in the country, indigenous communities ended their movement on Thursday, June 30.

Their representatives have reached an agreement with the government, which essentially concerns a drop in fuel prices.

But some points still remain to be negotiated.

Three questions for Emmanuelle Sinardet, professor of Latin American civilizations at the University of Paris-Nanterre.

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RFI: What is there concretely in this agreement?

Emmanuelle Sinardet:

 What was obtained very concretely, in the agreement, was a drop of fifteen cents per gallon on the price of fuel.

This was a pressing demand from the indigenous movements, but also from the rest of the population.

They also obtained the suspension of the state of emergency.

And finally measures that are frozen to limit the penetration of so-called mining and oil extractive activities into the lands of indigenous communities (…).

But there are price control measures that are laid down in this agreement, which are not defined, as well as principles such as giving priority in public policies to health and bilingual intercultural education.

This agreement provides for a "dialogue table",

actually a negotiation space that should be set up and that would last 90 days to discuss these other points.

So we do have an agreement, but that should be a first step for negotiations.

Who wins from this agreement?

Nobody wins in this case.

Government representatives and Mr. Lasso (

, Ecuadorian President, editor's note) present themselves as having been capable of dialogue and listening.

I think that 18 days (of demonstrations, editor's note) and nearly ten deaths, seem to show the opposite.

It seems to me that Mr. Lasso is coming out even more weakened than before the start of the mobilizations (…) As regards the person who presented himself as his main opponent, Mr. 

, the president of Conaie (Confederation of Nationalities natives), he presents this agreement as a victory, he even speaks of a triumph.

(…) But it seems that this agreement was not immediately unanimous within the different movements.

And finally, Mr.

What consequences will this indigenous movement which lasted 18 days, with in particular the blocking of roads and oil industries, have on the Ecuadorian economy?

In the immediate term, inflation is even higher since, due to the difficulties in supplying basic necessities in the cities, there has been an increase (in prices, editor's note).

The fuel subsidy measures and subsidies that will be linked to the price control will also have a very high cost, while the government was asked to reduce them, or even to abolish these subsidies.

There was an agreement last year with the IMF (…) on repayments of part of the loans granted and measures which refer to the structural adjustment measures of the previous decades, and which were to consist of the elimination of subsidies .

How will the government be able to both support the fulfillment of these promises contained in the agreements,

and how will he have to negotiate with the IMF?

We do not know.

It's a real economic headache.

►Reportage: In Ecuador, mixed reactions following the agreement reached between the natives and the government

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