[ecuador] 3000 indigenas make it to Quito 18.1
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 02:52:07 +0100


Ecuador: the indigenas’ uprising arrives to the Ecuadorian capital
by Marlon Carrion C.

QUITO, Ecuador. Although the Ecuadorian authorities were denying the fact
that indigenas were protesting. Today Tuesday 18.1, Quito saw the arrival
of at least 3000 indigenas protesting and demanding the stepping back of
president Jamil Mahuad.

The citizens were surprised as they had been convinced by the media and
governmental propaganda that nothing was going on. This however didn’t
prevent many people from Quito to show their support for the indigenas
protest by supplying a bit of food.

The indigenas said that at several stages of the road, they had been
stopped by military forces. They had to continue their march through paths
in the mountains and had to march all night from Monday to Tuesday in
order to make it Quito. The indigenas still count on a symbolic occupation
of Quito with 40.000 people.

Farmers leader Jorge Loor Cevallos, vice president of the Peoples
Parliament of Ecuador said that that the country is on the verge of a
serious confrontation of indigenas and farmers  versus military forces and
the police. Loor Cevallos said that the military had penetrated until the
doors of the indigenous communities in order to prevent them of going out
and demonstrate. However the demonstrators chose to cross mountains and
fields to make it to the roads and block them.

The farmers leader said that nothing could stop thousands of people from
entering Quito in order to demand the dismantlement of the Jamil Mahuads
government.

The first indigenas to arrive in Quito were welcome by representatives of
the Peoples Parliament which is based in the capital. The arrest of 8
indigenas in Chimborazo was condemned and it was said that one of the
leaders of the indigenous movement in that region, Silverio Cocha is
wanted by the authorities.

The indigenas, farmers and other social sectors say that the
‘dolarisation’ of the economy will mean the death of thousands of
children, women and elder people who couldn’t buy food, nor medicines. 5
out 10 Ecuadorians is in absolute poverty, 70% of the poeple are
unemployed or subemployed.

On top of this, the government is imposing the privatisation of hospitals
and all State enterprise. Due to this, the demands of the movement is the
dissolution of the National Congress and the Supreme Court of Justice.

It was also confirmed that the military is preventing 1500 indigenas from
entering Quito. They have suffered tough repression in the southern access
to the capital. (Ec/QR/Po/Cs/mc)

spanish original: www.amarc.org/pulsar