Statement rejecting the serious events in Ecuador

In recent days, through mobilizations and protests, the people of Ecuador have been demanding the repeal of Decree 883 issued by President Lenín Moreno, which eliminated the subsidy for extra gasoline and diesel, an instrument that is being countered by the dictates of the agreement that this government has signed with the IMF.

In response to these measures that significantly impact the economy of Ecuadorians and promote a deepening of inequality, numerous social, peasant, and indigenous organizations in Ecuador have called for a National Strike on October 9th as a form of protest against the aforementioned provisions of the Moreno government and other subsequent decrees from the Executive that establish extremely restrictive measures on human and constitutional rights.

In this context, the Moreno government's reaction has been repressive. Evoking the worst moments in the history of Latin America, during the military regimes of four and five decades ago, and within the context of the state of emergency decreed by Moreno—which the Constitutional Court has justified maintaining for 30 days—a curfew has been declared and many public spaces have been militarized, even with the use of equipment typical of a war zone. The crackdown by the Armed Forces and the National Police against expressions of social discontent has resulted in more than 500 arrests, a number that continues to rise.

This is compounded by the obstruction of bodies such as the Ombudsman's Office and human rights organizations in fulfilling their role of protecting the rights of detainees.

Based on the foregoing, as a Working Group:

We consider it urgent that the state of emergency and the measures associated with it be repealed. The actions of the public forces cannot be carried out outside of international human rights standards.

We condemn the excessive use of force against the civilian population, and in particular those forms that would be harmful to children and adolescents, other vulnerable individuals, and also people who carry out information and communication activities.

While we advocate for unrestricted respect for freedom of expression and the right to information, we condemn the media blackout that has been deployed by most major media outlets.

We urge the promotion of the use of constitutional mechanisms to demand the review of the agreement with the IMF and to achieve its annulment.

We urge an end to the use of state institutions, and in particular its control and justice bodies, as well as the use of legal discourse to foster an environment conducive to legitimizing and normalizing violations of substantive rights and consolidating a situation of impunity and an unconstitutional state of affairs.

We also urge working from a legal perspective to change the frameworks through which otherness is viewed and regulated in Ecuador and Latin America. In this regard, we condemn any measures and expressions aimed at erasing those who are different, promoting fanaticism, racism, regionalism, and division among the peoples of Ecuador.

We hope that all human rights violations that may have been committed will be known, investigated and duly punished, guaranteeing that these will not be repeated, especially those related to the criminalization of social protest.

CLACSO Working Group
Legal critique and sociopolitical conflicts