Feb 21, 2001 
               Ecuador Indians win again 

A mandated increase of 100 percent in
the price of domestic fuel, of major
               impact for the many far-flung
Indigenous communities of Ecuador, generated
               the most recent example of Indian
government-by-mobilization in that country.

The Indigenous peoples of Ecuador -
Indians of the Americas - have held this
               basis of political clout since a year
ago when their national movement,
               Pachakutik, toppled a president and
ushered in a new era of respect for the
               country's very large Indian population.

In Ecuador (as in Peru, Bolivia,
Guatemala and Mexico), Indian people are the
               mass, both in urban areas and in the
countryside. In Ecuador, during the 1990s,
               this Indian mass of people (estimates
put it at 40 percent to 60 percent of 12
               million) from 12 specific nations
organized throughout the four corners of the
               country into a national movement and
have come to be reckoned a powerful
               force.

The Ecuadorian Indigenous "democracy
from underneath" marks a crystal
               moment in the political strategy
developed by a highly discriminated range of
               Native nations, from the Andes
mountains to the Amazon, the most populous of
               which are the Quechua, descendants of
the Incas, in a national coalition that
               includes many lowland Amazonian tribes.

Peaceful, discouraging the use of
firearms and warlike violence, nevertheless
               this movement can shut down the
highways of this South American country and
               literally paralyze its economy. Its
method: coalition building. Its tool: massive
               mobilization. Ecuador's Indigenous
peoples do not govern the country, not yet,
               but they can stop business as usual.

Most interestingly, this Indian
movement enjoys the overwhelming support of
               social and guild organizations, unions,
churches and other modest sectors,
               including many among the rank and file
of the Ecuadorian army, composed
               largely of Indigenous and working class
recruits.

It is important to take note of this
remarkable fact: in Ecuador, the national
               "movement of conscience," which is
attempting to assuage the terrible
               economic conditions afflicting the
country, is led by the Indian national
               movement, which practically all
progressive organizations support. This
               movement has keenly strategic Indian
leadership. It has a well-developed
               intellectual tradition. It is very
community-related.

The movement-by-mobilization is not
without sacrifice. In the 10-day
               mobilization of 6,000 Native people to
the capital of Quito, important
               concessions were gained from the
government, but not before six
               demonstrators were shot to death and
dozens injured in the inevitable, if
               sporadic, clashes that erupted. After
the deaths, 40 protesters launched a
               serious hunger strike in the capital of
Quito that greatly dramatized the issue.

That and the closing of highways,
which had already cost the Ecuadorian
               Federation of Exporters some $50
million in lost export earnings, led to the
               signing of a formal accord between the
president and a council of 80 Indigenous
               leaders led by Antonio Vargas, CONAIE
(National Confederation of Indigenous
               Nationalities) president. The
combination of tactics and elements make the
               Indian movement "a major powerbroker in
the country," Reuters news agency
               reports.

Last time, the Indian mobilization of
Ecuador toppled a president; this time, it
               reversed the earlier mandated price
rise and actually negotiated a drop of 20
               percent from the present price of
gasoline products, among other important
               concessions. Under pressure, the
government promised to establish a people's
               gas distribution system, which would
guarantee long term price stability.

The main national Indian
organization, CONAIE strategically addresses many
               national-level issues that transcend to
the non-Native population. Among these
               is the serious concern by Ecuadorians
that the war in neighboring Colombia
               could spill over to their country.
CONAIE's demand that the government not
               participate in "Plan Colombia," part of
the U.S. Drug War's multi-billion dollar
               military involvement in that troubled
country, had overwhelming support and
               won just such a promise from the
government.

This oil-rich country, always
struggling with a great deal of corruption in
               government, can do better by its
Indigenous peoples, who might be as much as
               half of the total population. By
imposing "economic austerity" measures, which
               fundamentally squeezed the poor sectors
to pay for decades of corruption and
               theft by previous public officials, it
made a desperate situation unacceptable.
               Indian people led the country in saying
no to this approach to "globalization";
               the government had to back down.

Most importantly, once again, the
Indian movement proved itself a continuous
               force from underneath. Its non-violent
but forceful mobilization, once again
               concentrating a wide-ranging coalition,
keeps it a viable leadership sector for
               social change. Throughout the
mobilization, ceremonial fires, theater and dance
               were a constant among the
demonstrators. Ecuador was reminded of its
               Indigenous core. Indigenous peoples
everywhere, populations large and small,
               might pay attention.

©2000 Indian Country Today