indigenas negociate with military
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000

From: "el desaparecido" <desaparecido@gmx.de>

the last news I received yesterday is that the indigenas were offered to
negociate with president Jamil, which of course they refused because they
don't recognise him as a president. They marched down to the Ministery of
Defence though and a delegation of 35 indigenas went to talk with the
military leaders. The author of these Pulsar updates calls this a virtual 
victory of the indigenas already. The indigenas talk about "ex president" 
Jamil already. The interview with Marlon (only in Spanish so far) gives 
a good insight in the different voices inside the movement and also the 
caracter of the movement. Solidarity. L.

original in Spanish: www.amarc.org/pulsar

Pulsar Information Agency  -
Information for Latin America via Internet
(Agencia Informativa Púlsar - Información para América Latina vía Internet)

___________________
Ecuador: Indigenous people propose that the military add themselves to the
indigenous and popular protest.
____________________

QUITO, Ecuador. This Tuesday afternoon, the 20 thousand indigenous
people
that were present in Quito for the indigenous and popular uprising on march
tried to move on to the palace of government, situated in the historic
center of the city.

This march encountered a substantial group of policemen and military
personnel whom impeded the way towards the palace of government.
Through
intense negotiations, the military permitted the march to continue only
towards the Ministry of Defense, located 6 blocks from the governments
doorsteps.

On their way, the indigenous march has received total support from the
citizens of Quito, now that they feel that they are also represented in the
demands presented by the National Parliament of the Peoples of Ecuador.
This
being President Jamil Mahuad's resignation, the dissolution of all judicial
and legislative powers, the repeal of the economic measures and the
restoration of a Provisional Council of Government for National Salvation.

Púlsar was able to find out that the indigenous march which runs along the
streets of Quito will be received by General Carlos Mendoza, who is in
charge of the Ministry of Defense. According to leaders, they will not ask
him for no repression, instead they will invite him to join the protest for
national dignity.

Rumor ran that the Popular Parliament will ask the high military command,
as
well as the seconds in command and the progressives of the Armed Forces
to
respect the constitution in the measure that the supreme power rests on the
people. The Ecuadorian Constitution contemplates the capacity of the people
to assume such power when the authorities are incompetent and anti-
national.
The indigenous people assure that this mandate protects this uprising.

The popular urban sectors, which correspond to 80% of the urban population,
feel defenseless against the "dollarization." Since President Mahuad decreed
this measure, salaries have not gone up one cent but the prices of basic
need products have tripled. For this reason, every moment poor sectors of
the city unite themselves to this national protest. (Ec/QR/Po-Pi/Cs-Pe/mc)