The President of the Republic rejected in networks that among the amnestied are those who carried out excesses during the protests of October 2019.
President William Lassoconsidered this Thursday (March 10, 2022) that the National Assembly “committed a Act of injustice» when granting amnesty to 268 people, including indigenous people, activists and environmental defendersprosecuted by the Justice for alleged crimes in social protests.
From Santiago de Chile, where the Ecuadorian president is to attend the investiture of his Chilean counterpart Gabriel Boric on Friday (March 11), lasso He stated on social media that “the legitimate right to protest it cannot affect others.”
The Ecuadorian President referred more explicitly to the amnesty decreed for 60 prosecuted for the wave of protests that the country experienced in October 2019 and that had its epicenter in the old quarter of the capital, with the headquarters of the Comptroller set on fire by protesters.
“They forgot Quito on fire. Families that lost businesses, journalists attacked, people violated. I support the people of Quito and the public force in the face of the decision,” he said. lasso in a message posted on his official Twitter account.
The amnesties They were approved by the plenary session of the Assembly in a session that ended in the early hours of this Thursday, thanks to the 99 votes in favor of the 125 parliamentarians present in the chamber.
In addition to the 60 processed for the October 2019 proteststhe largest group of amnestied are 153 who were prosecuted for protests in defense of community territories, while 43 are environmental defenders and another 12 had been criminalized for administering indigenous justice.
Among those benefited by this decision of the Legislative is Leonidas Iza, the president of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (Conaie), as well as the prefect of the province of Pichincha, Paola Pabón, and several “defenders of water.”
Precisely, Iza maintained on social networks that with this amnesty “The social struggle, the right to resistance and democracy are vindicated” and he concluded that “the fight against neoliberalism continues.”
Although the president of the AssemblyGuadalupe Llori, believed that the amnesties “are going to reconcile” the country, this decision can be an impetus for new protests At a time when the Government of lasso tries to carry out important reforms in labor and social security. EFE
