For the right to protest in Ecuador
6 October 2019
Statement from the CLACSO Steering Committee
Following President Lenin Moreno's announcement of new economic measures aligned with the interests of the International Monetary Fund and economic elites, the Ecuadorian population took to the streets en masse in protest. Indigenous communities blocked highways, students and women organized their own demonstrations, and the country's most important social organizations announced a major national strike.
The government reacted by declaring a state of emergency. In the first four days, more than 300 people were arrested, and human rights organizations denounced the excessive use of force by the police.
CLACSO expresses its deep concern about the social and political situation the country is facing. We stand in solidarity with the legitimate demands of its people, men and women, in defense of their rights; and we urge the political elites to strengthen democracy.
Therefore, it is urgent:
· Eliminate the state of exception that suspends the exercise of the right to freedom of association and assembly, which limits the necessary expression of citizens and legitimizes the use of public force.
· Condemn the excessive use of force and repression deployed by the security forces against protesters and journalists.
· Break the media blackout imposed by the mainstream media and show solidarity with the demands of the population.
Furthermore, we denounce:
Economic measures focused on eliminating subsidies and labor reforms that violate workers' rights threaten the dignified life of the people and reinforce the overexploitation of women who bear the burden of care work.
Economic measures that, in the name of productive reactivation, favor the profits of elites and companies, only impoverish the population and limit the State's ability to guarantee the well-being of its society.
The group of economic measures being pursued by the government and the alliance with the IMF are part of a neoliberal recipe that was responsible for the impoverishment of the population in the recent history of all of Latin America and the Caribbean.
CLACSO urges respect for the right to protest enshrined in the Ecuadorian Constitution. We hope that the demands of the Ecuadorian people will be heard so that history does not repeat itself.
If you would like to receive more information about CLACSO's training programs:
[widget id=”custom_html-57″]
to our email lists.
