SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Celebration of the Ecuadorian Indians on 13 October 2019 in Quito, Ecuador, after Lenin Moreno issued the decree 883 on a national network. (Photo by Rafael Rodriguez/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
In Victory for People's Movement, Ecuador Protests End With Government Capitulation on Fuel Subsidies
"We want peace for our brothers and sisters in this country. We don't want more repression."
Oct 14, 2019
Indigenous groups in Ecuador celebrated Monday after news broke late Sunday that the country's leader, President Lenin Moreno, would make a deal with protestors that shut down the Latin American nation in nearly two weeks of demonstrations and scrap a controversial austerity package.
"I'm so happy I don't know what to say," said indigenous protester Rosa Matanago. "I don't have words, I'm so emotional. At least God touched the president's heart."
Moreno signed directive 883, restoring the subsidies, on Sunday evening.
The protest movement in Ecuador began on October 2 after a coalition of indigenous groups, the Confederation of Indigenous Nations in Ecuador (CONAIE), launched demonstrations against the Moreno government's proposal to eliminate fuel subsidies in an effort to reduce the country's debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Moreno also proposed slashing salaries for public workers as a way to generate funding to pay down the IMF debt.
As Common Dreams reported on October 8, the protests led to Moreno temporarily relocating his government outside of the capital, Quito.
The New York Times on Monday explained the dispute at the heart of the clashes:
Elimination of the popular subsidies was a keystone of the broad austerity plan required by the IMF in order to extend Ecuador a credit line. The loan was meant to bolster the country's economy, which has deteriorated in recent years because of lower oil prices and a strengthening dollar that has left the country's exports more expensive.
CONAIE president Jaime Vargas told The Guardian that the work is just beginning to negotiate a way forward for Ecuador but that he was heartened by what the protest movement--which reportedly left seven demonstrators dead and over 2,100 wounded or arrested--accomplished.
"We want peace for our brothers and sisters in this country," said Vargas. "We don't want more repression."
Video of the celebrations of indigenous protesters spread across social media Monday.
Anti-war advocacy group CodePink urged caution from those celebrating the cessation in hostilities.
"This may be a victory for the indigenous people of Ecuador," the group tweeted, "but neoliberalism still reigns in the country."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Indigenous groups in Ecuador celebrated Monday after news broke late Sunday that the country's leader, President Lenin Moreno, would make a deal with protestors that shut down the Latin American nation in nearly two weeks of demonstrations and scrap a controversial austerity package.
"I'm so happy I don't know what to say," said indigenous protester Rosa Matanago. "I don't have words, I'm so emotional. At least God touched the president's heart."
Moreno signed directive 883, restoring the subsidies, on Sunday evening.
The protest movement in Ecuador began on October 2 after a coalition of indigenous groups, the Confederation of Indigenous Nations in Ecuador (CONAIE), launched demonstrations against the Moreno government's proposal to eliminate fuel subsidies in an effort to reduce the country's debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Moreno also proposed slashing salaries for public workers as a way to generate funding to pay down the IMF debt.
As Common Dreams reported on October 8, the protests led to Moreno temporarily relocating his government outside of the capital, Quito.
The New York Times on Monday explained the dispute at the heart of the clashes:
Elimination of the popular subsidies was a keystone of the broad austerity plan required by the IMF in order to extend Ecuador a credit line. The loan was meant to bolster the country's economy, which has deteriorated in recent years because of lower oil prices and a strengthening dollar that has left the country's exports more expensive.
CONAIE president Jaime Vargas told The Guardian that the work is just beginning to negotiate a way forward for Ecuador but that he was heartened by what the protest movement--which reportedly left seven demonstrators dead and over 2,100 wounded or arrested--accomplished.
"We want peace for our brothers and sisters in this country," said Vargas. "We don't want more repression."
Video of the celebrations of indigenous protesters spread across social media Monday.
Anti-war advocacy group CodePink urged caution from those celebrating the cessation in hostilities.
"This may be a victory for the indigenous people of Ecuador," the group tweeted, "but neoliberalism still reigns in the country."
Indigenous groups in Ecuador celebrated Monday after news broke late Sunday that the country's leader, President Lenin Moreno, would make a deal with protestors that shut down the Latin American nation in nearly two weeks of demonstrations and scrap a controversial austerity package.
"I'm so happy I don't know what to say," said indigenous protester Rosa Matanago. "I don't have words, I'm so emotional. At least God touched the president's heart."
Moreno signed directive 883, restoring the subsidies, on Sunday evening.
The protest movement in Ecuador began on October 2 after a coalition of indigenous groups, the Confederation of Indigenous Nations in Ecuador (CONAIE), launched demonstrations against the Moreno government's proposal to eliminate fuel subsidies in an effort to reduce the country's debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Moreno also proposed slashing salaries for public workers as a way to generate funding to pay down the IMF debt.
As Common Dreams reported on October 8, the protests led to Moreno temporarily relocating his government outside of the capital, Quito.
The New York Times on Monday explained the dispute at the heart of the clashes:
Elimination of the popular subsidies was a keystone of the broad austerity plan required by the IMF in order to extend Ecuador a credit line. The loan was meant to bolster the country's economy, which has deteriorated in recent years because of lower oil prices and a strengthening dollar that has left the country's exports more expensive.
CONAIE president Jaime Vargas told The Guardian that the work is just beginning to negotiate a way forward for Ecuador but that he was heartened by what the protest movement--which reportedly left seven demonstrators dead and over 2,100 wounded or arrested--accomplished.
"We want peace for our brothers and sisters in this country," said Vargas. "We don't want more repression."
Video of the celebrations of indigenous protesters spread across social media Monday.
Anti-war advocacy group CodePink urged caution from those celebrating the cessation in hostilities.
"This may be a victory for the indigenous people of Ecuador," the group tweeted, "but neoliberalism still reigns in the country."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy