END OF THE NATIONAL STRIKE IN ECUADOR

[COICA / 1 july 2022]

Collective struggle is the way to achieve social justice

After 18 days of mobilizations led by the indigenous movement, social organizations and unions in Ecuador, the National Strike ends. The social struggle began on June 13, 2022, in the face of the inaction of the government of Guillermo Lasso to provide effective solutions to the economic, social, educational and health crisis in the country.

The social sectors for more than a year have been presenting trades to the president of the Republic of Ecuador so that work tables are generated in order to carry out actions that improve the quality of life of the sectors most affected by the increase in the cost of life, which has already become unsustainable; however, despite multiple attempts to obtain a response from the State, this has not been feasible.

In this context, the National Strike began in the city of Quito, where the indigenous peoples and social organizations of the Ecuadorian Coast, Highlands and Amazon gathered, to demand decent employment and labor income from the government of Guillermo Lasso, freezing of fuel prices, the regulation of the prices of the basic basket, supply of medical supplies in hospitals and health centers, respect for the prices of peasant products, admission to universities for young people from popular class families, generation of a plan that contributes to the reduction of violence in Ecuador and the elimination of oil and mining expansion in indigenous territories.

Today, June 30, 2022, representatives of the indigenous movement of Ecuador, CONAIE, FEINE and FENOCIN, signed a commitment document with the national government, which reflects the results and progress on priority issues and according to popular demands and multicultural that contribute to improving the quality of life of indigenous peoples and vulnerable families in the countryside and the city.

Among the main agreements are:

1.- Reduction of the value of extra fuel, diesel and ecopaís , in a total of 15 cents of the current cost per gallon. And work will be done on policies to target subsidies for the most vulnerable sectors.

2.- Repeal of Executive Decree No. 95 on hydrocarbons, which promoted the expansion of the oil frontier, directly affecting the Amazonian indigenous peoples.

3.- Reform of Executive Decree No. 151 , in which it is stipulated that mining extraction may not be carried out in protected areas, ancestral territories of indigenous peoples and in intangible zones.

4.- Declaration of emergency to the health sector .

5.- Cancellation of the debt of small and medium producers in the countryside.

The indigenous movement and social organizations in 90 days will evaluate compliance with the agreements signed by the national government, and they mention: «we will return to the right to resistance, if the agreements are not fulfilled.»

From the Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin – COICA, we recognize the tireless struggle of the indigenous peoples of the Ecuadorian Amazon led by our CONFENIAE base, who tirelessly resisted to guarantee the collective and territorial rights of our indigenous brothers and sisters.

We ratify that the social struggle is the way to achieve the recognition and guarantee of collective and individual rights and we publicly applaud the Ecuadorian people and the indigenous movement for resisting despite the repression by the government of Guillermo Lasso in these 18 days of fight in the streets.

Unity makes us stronger against the neoliberal governments that do not guarantee a dignified life for the peoples of Abya Yala!