Social Protests are Considered Terrorism in Ecuador

189 people are detained by the government on charges of sabotage and terrorism.

The most of the detainees are indigenous and peasant leaders, for this reason, the indigenous movement has decided to submit to the National Assembly a proposal for amnesty for more than a hundred indigenous, peasant movements, community leaders, and environmentalists, who are facing criminal charges for having participated or led protests.

A team of Pachakutik (PK) and Conaie lawyers are refining a list which until last Friday registered 189 cases of people detained in this Government period.

Among the most common crimes of those who are accused are the sabotage and terrorism, but also includes figures such as conspiracy, obstruction of public roads, injuries and kidnapping policemen, attacks against private, property invasion, and aggravated robbery.

Pachakutik this week plans to submit the request for amnesty to the Governing Body ofthe Legislature (CAL), before the legislative recess that will be from February 21.

Ivonne Yanez of “Acción Ecológica,” believes that there is a criminalization of the right to resistance, guaranteed in the Constitution of Montecristi. This is being used as an “umbrella”, in particular art. 160.1 of the Penal Code, which provides a very broad definition of terrorism.

That article states “It is considered as terrorists, among others, who individually or forming partnerships, armed or not, claiming patriotic purposes, social, economic, political, religious, revolutionary, claiming ownership proselytizing, racial, local, regional, etc. , commit crimes against the common security of individuals or human groups of any kind or property: (…) and who built barricades, railings, trenches, barriers, etc., in order to cope with the force public in support of their intentions, plans, thesis or proclamations.”

On this basis, Yanez says that many companies have judicialized the people acts which criticize their activities. Organizations such as the Ecumenical Committee for Human Rights are monitoring these cases at Bolivar, Azuay and Zamora Chinchipe provinces.

Source: El Universo