Representatives of the Executive and of the indigenous movements participated in a dialogue table, chaired by the Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference, which managed to put an end to the national strike that began on June 13.
Signing of the agreement between the Government and the indigenous organizations that put an end to the national strike. Quito, June 30, 2022.
The national strike enters its 18th day with its sights set on the dialogue between the National Government and the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie), in Quito, the results of which were made public at noon on June 30, 2022.
In the negotiating team on behalf of the Executive was the Minister of Government, Francisco Jiménez; the Foreign Minister, Juan Carlos Holguín and the Secretary General of the Presidency, Iván Correa.
While on the side of the indigenous movements were the presidents of the Conaie, Leonidas Iza; de la Feine, Eustaquio Toala and de la Fenocin, Gary Espinosa.
Monsignor Luis Cabrera, president of the Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference, presided over and facilitated the dialogue, accompanied by eight other religious.
The development of the document was built between the negotiators in private , although Iza later denied this and said that it was a proposal from the mediation commission.
The representatives of the Executive and the indigenous movements signed, after a mediation led by the Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference, the so-called Act for Peace in which the agreements reached to achieve the end of the national strike that began on June 13 are detailed.
The agreement that ended the strike:
The document includes the following executive decrees signed by the President of the Republic during the strike:
- Order governors to intensify and strengthen price controls in their provinces to prevent speculation.
- Declaration of emergency in the health sector.
- Implementation of the social policies offered: increase in the human development bonus, doubling the budget for bilingual cultural education , placing a popular oil on the market, subsidy for urea , among others.
- Reduce the price of Extra, Ecopaís and diesel gasoline by USD 0.10.
To these offers that have already been launched, the agreement signed by the parties includes:
- Repeal Executive Decree 95 , which establishes the Government’s oil policy.
- Reform Executive Decree 151 , which contains the action plan for the development of the country’s mining plan. Specifying that these activities may not be carried out in protected areas, intangible zones, archaeological zones, water protection areas and ancestral territories of indigenous peoples.
- In addition, prior, free and informed consultation with the communities will be guaranteed.
- It was agreed to install a dialogue table with the presence of the guarantors and with a methodology to follow up on the agreements and the resolution of pending issues raised by Conaie.
- This table will have a term of 90 days and will be attended by authorities from other State functions.
- Finally, the Government promised to reduce the price of fuels by an additional value of USD 0.05 in both diesel and Extra and Ecopaís gasoline. Thus achieving a total reduction of USD 0.15 in each of these fuels.
- In addition to this, a subsidy targeting policy will be worked on.
With these agreed points, the indigenous movements promised to demobilize their bases and open all the roads that were blocked by the national strike.
In response, the Central Government promised to repeal the state of emergency as the situation in the country returns to normal.
-
06/30/2022
9:28
Iza questions the deal at the last minute.
After reading the document, the president of the Feine, Eustaquio Toala, evoked the need to start a process of reconciliation among all Ecuadorians.
“We do not want to be left on the edge of a winner or a loser, we want peace to reign among all Ecuadorian brothers,” said the leader.
President Leonidas Iza thanked those who supported his mobilization, and insisted that the protesters have not led activities that can be classified as terrorism.
In addition, he insisted on the legitimacy of his position, which was questioned by the President of the Republic. Iza listed the achievements that he said were possible thanks to social mobilization.
When everything seemed agreed and agreed upon, Iza pointed out that the minutes had not yet been signed and hinted at the need to incorporate new points that were not agreed upon or had been discussed.
Iza hinted that Conaie would not sign the document and left the room to discuss the document with the other indigenous leaders. Although after about 30 minutes of maximum tension, the leaders of the indigenous movement return to the room.
With that pause, he achieved that, in addition to the initial agreements, the Government commits to building a proposal for targeting subsidies.
-
06/30/2022
9:26
Protesters remain attentive to the dialogues
From the social networks of the Indigenous and Peasant Movement of Cotopaxi (MICC) it calls for a concentration from 09:00 in the agoras of the country’s Houses of Culture.
These mobilizations coincide with the Government’s announcement of accepting the mediation of the Catholic Church, to resume dialogue with Conaie and other indigenous organizations.
Leonidas Iza, president of the Confederation , welcomed the invitation and urged the demonstrators to carry out peaceful demonstrations.
The Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference will inform from the auditorium of the Santísima Trinidad parish, in Quito, the progress of the dialogue.
