The President speaks with the indigenous people of the Central Sierra

Rafael Correa

The President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, said yesterday during a ceremony which was called ‘Dialogue for the Good Living’ and through which he attempted to prevent demonstrations of several groups that are against his decision to exploit the ITT block, that his Government is ready to dialogue with the indigenous and peasant sectors.

The President met with around 30 000 indigenous at the Olympic Stadium in the city of Riobamba with the purpose  to “strengthen the political dialogue and the construction of a working agenda to achieve the Sumak Kawsay or the good living”.

During the ceremony, Correa called “liars, opportunists, losers, politicians” to the participants of the march on Tuesday that, in his view, was “violent”.

The President said that the leaders of the Ecuarunari organization, subsidiary of the Confederation of indigenous nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie), are not real indigenous people.

“You are the real leaders, today someone who is not indigenous, directs the Ecuarunari, look at the crisis of this leadership that is lying to the bases”, said Correa, who also invited attendees to “recover the indigenous movement along with his Government, which is the Government of the indigenous, to continue overcoming the poverty, injustice, inequality, in peace, in union, without violence, which does not mean not having determination or firmness”.