The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie) denounced a strong repression, with at least one death, exerted by the police forces on the protesters who have been carrying out a national strike for a week against the government of Guillermo Lasso, who denounced for his part that the demonstrators want him to “throw” him out of power.
“The Kayambi People’s Confederation denounces and rejects the brutal repression of the @PoliciaEcuador in the north of the country”, denounced this nucleation, which Conaie integrates in its Twitter account.
Likewise, the Alliance of Organizations for Human Rights of Ecuador affirmed this Monday in a statement that it recorded “39 violations of human rights during the days of the national strike!” summoned by Conaie and other organizations “to protest against the neoliberal policy” of Lasso.
According to the Alliance, the event occurred at dawn in the Collas sector, in the northeast of the Ecuadorian capital.
Alliance delegates reported at a press conference that “due to strong repression by the police and military, five people fell into a ravine, one person died and two are in serious condition.”
#National Strike
The Kayambi People’s Confederation denounces and rejects the brutal repression of the @PoliceEcuador in the north of the country.
@pueblo_kayambi https://t.co/Y1zbCvETSv— CONAIE (@CONAIE_Ecuador) June 20, 2022
María Morillo, from the National Anti-Mining Front, reported that an advance party of demonstrators, who were seeking to reach Quito from the province of Imbabura (north), found themselves in Collas with police repression with “tear gas and pepper spray”.
The episode was confirmed to the international press by police sources, who pointed out that “three demonstrators fell into a ravine and one of them died, but it was not in a confrontation.”
The platform monitors the mobilization, which this Monday entered its seventh day with road closures and groups of citizens advancing towards the capital, Quito, to intensify the demonstrations from there.
On Sunday there were new clashes between protesters and the Police in the north of Quito. According to local media, a police contingent tried to arrest representatives of the indigenous peoples and nationalities who came from the province of Imbabura, to the north, and tried to enter the city.
Clashes are also reported in accesses to the south of Quito, where protesters from Cotopaxi and Chimborazo tried to reach the city, reported the Telesur network.
#URGENT @G_ChuruchumbiMayor of @GADIPCayambe denounces the brutal repression of the Armed Forces towards fellow #Cayambe, #Imbabura Y #Guayllabamba
Reports a young man who died in Guayllabamba, held, tortured and wounded in Collas. ⤵️ https://t.co/rMqcy4tJ1l— CONAIE (@CONAIE_Ecuador) June 20, 2022
According to the press, the police contingent tried to stop a caravan, but then allowed it to pass in the direction of the Tambillo parish, north of the Mejía canton, from where this group planned to move to the Cutuglagua parish, to rest there and resume their advance towards Quito. this Monday morning.
In addition to sections of the Panamericana Sur and Panamericana Norte highways (they give access to Quito) that have been taken over by groups of protesters, the media reports that at least ten other highways woke up today blocked, while active protests were reported in at least 16 provinces.
The Conaie ratified that it will not withdraw from the streets nor will it end the indefinite national strike until the Government complies with the list of ten popular demands.
Videos and images released by Conaie show the police repression, which occurred last night, and severe beatings of demonstrators. Police reportedly used tear gas and smoke bombs to stop the protest.
In the midst of this scenario, Guillermo Lasso assured today that the indigenous movement wants to “throw” him out of power.
“We have reached out, we have called for dialogue, but they do not want peace, they seek chaos, they want to throw out the president,” the president declared in a video released on his Twitter account.
