For 18 days, the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (Conaie), leading demonstrations to protest against the high cost of living, paralyzed Ecuador. As negotiations begin, the...

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Rafael Correa: 'The Ecuadorian government must be kicked out'

Former President of Ecuador Rafael Correa.

Text by: Marie Normand Follow

4 mins

For 18 days, the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (Conaie), leading demonstrations to protest against the high cost of living, paralyzed Ecuador.

As negotiations begin, President Guillermo Lasso accuses his predecessor Rafael Correa (2007-2017) of pulling the strings of protest from Belgium, where he resides.

The latter responds to these accusations at the microphone of RFI.

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RFI: What is your view on the opening of negotiations between the leaders of Conaie and the government?

Rafael Correa

: These 18 days of demonstrations were terrible for the country.

Seven dead - some sources speak of 11 dead - dozens of wounded, destruction.

All this to lead to a reduction of 15 cents in fuel prices?

I think we've lost our minds.

All those sacrifices for that?

We have to be more responsible.

You can't have such strong demonstrations and leave a completely unpopular government in place, when there were constitutional mechanisms to bring the elections forward.

The government is in total failure, it must be kicked out.

He must bring the elections forward.

[Guillermo] Lasso should resign, because he is involved in the

Pandora Papers

scandal .

But since he has the support of the media and the United States, nothing happens.

President Guillermo Lasso accuses you of acting in concert with Leonidas Iza to destabilize him.

What are your links with the President of Conaie?

I never spoke with him, I don't know him.

I do not agree with the methods of Conaie.

They are used to seeking to impose their program by force.

They stopped doing it under my government, because mine was very popular.

They are the ones who brought Guillermo Lasso to power.

They won a neo-liberal program and today they are complaining about it.

Of course, nothing explains the brutal repression of their demonstrations.

Your party tabled a motion of no confidence against the Lasso government a few weeks ago.

Motion ultimately rejected by Parliament.

Guillermo Lasso spoke of an attempted coup.

What do you answer?

Ah good, we destabilize democracy by using the Constitution?

This shows you the quality of our politicians.

A few weeks ago, he himself [Guillermo Lasso] threatened to organize early elections.

So to resolve a very serious conflict, we could not do it?

Accusing me of a coup is a lack of honesty.

Sometimes he overestimates me: does he really believe that with an iPhone and Twitter I can control all the protests in Ecuador?

(laugh)

In any case, this motion was rejected.

So Guillermo Lasso still has enough support in Ecuador?

No way.

He controls the Assembly through bribery.

He gives small pieces of the state – here the control of a school, there of a hospital – to all the deputies who support him.

With this way of doing things, you can inevitably remain president.

You yourself were sentenced to 8 years in prison in absentia for corruption, for facts that you have always denied.

Ecuador has sent an extradition request to Belgium where you reside.

Do you fear a possible return to Ecuador?

I suggest one thing to you: appoint a Truth Commission to verify the cases against us.

If this commission says that these are valid, legitimate cases, I myself return to Ecuador to go to prison.

These are [the lawsuits against me, editor's note] ridiculous, scandalous, monstrous things.

Can you imagine that from a former president?

They took this out to prevent me from being a candidate again.

If that were true, I would not have received political asylum from Belgium.

After four years of investigation, Belgium decided to grant me this status.

It is the recognition that we are politically persecuted and not corrupt.

Game Over!

There should be no more discussion.

And yet people keep talking to me about it.

Your political influence is still important in Ecuador, even if you left power 5 years ago...

Sure.

That's why he keeps persecuting me.

He knows very well that if I can return to Ecuador, I will win the elections by far.

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To read also:
In Ecuador, the rules of dialogue set between government and indigenous people

Rafael Correa: 'The Ecuadorian government must be kicked out'

Rafael Correa: 'The Ecuadorian government must be kicked out'

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