Ecuador: Repression from police and military towards manifestations

Police and military have striken hard against the roadblocks and manifestations initiated by the indigenous movement and supported by social movements in the different regions in the country. Several persons have been hurt and a woman with a one-month-old baby are being held by the police.

At least ten persons have been hurt by stones and gas thrown by police and military, according to Ecuarunari, the movement of the nationality Kichwa in the highlands.

The mobilizations started at 00 hours on Monday and thousand of protesters are taking part in the manifestations against the signing of the bilateral free trade agreement (TLC) between Ecuador and the Unites States. The protests are also against the bad conduct of the oil-companies in the country and the so called “Plan Colombia”.

Apart from roadblocks and regional protests 500 persons are marching towards Quito from the jungle-region Amazonía to join manifestations in the capital. Students are supporting the demands of the indigenous and social movements and there are incidents of stone-throwing and teargas-shooting in the capital.

On Tuesday there were reports of at least 13 wounded in the provinces of Cañar, Imbabura, Zamora and Cotopaxi. Among the wounded there is a one-year-old baby and a 17-year-old. At least 10 people have been detained and are being held in custody, apart from the mother and baby, also three persons of old age.

The government has not been giving any response to the demands of the organizations.

“These actions will be more radical and with more power if the president Alfredo Palacio and his government do not end the repression against the protesters and give a response to the poor of this country”, writes Ecuarunari in a message to the press.

“If this free-trade-agreement will be signed we are more than 8 million Ecuadorians who will suffer directly or indirectly in the agricultural sector, says Humberto Cholango, president of Ecuarunari.

The protests have been convoked by Conaie – the organization of all the indigenous movements of Ecuador, in the highlands, the coast and the jungle.

Tove Maria Silveira, voluntary worker for Ecuarunari