Condemnation of institutional violence against artistic and cultural spaces, universities and polytechnic schools in Ecuador
Authoritarian regimes throughout history have shared a common denominator: harassing and attacking thought, knowledge, and the spaces that promote it. This week, we have seen that the events in Ecuador are marked by institutional violence against artistic and cultural spaces, universities, and polytechnic schools, evoking the worst intentions of the most nefarious governments in our Latin American countries.
We condemn any act that threatens the safety and well-being of university students and faculty, as well as university autonomy in Ecuador, especially since some higher education institutions have been declared safe havens and peace zones. Universities have no place for weapons, only for ideas and a commitment to building more just and better societies.
We also reject the insistence on criminalizing those who fight for social rights, including the right to education. After the pandemic, it is a mistake to assume that economic, food, and educational needs remain the same. On the contrary, the needs of historically marginalized sectors have intensified. In this sense, the Indigenous and peasant sectors—mostly located in rural areas—are among the groups most affected by the pandemic.
The pandemic and neoliberal adjustment policies have made it possible for the Ecuadorian Indigenous Movement to demand better living conditions for its people and improved access to the material and cultural resources from which they are currently being deprived.
One only needs to look at malnutrition statistics comparing urban and rural areas. On the one hand, according to recent official data, at least 4 out of 10 children in rural areas suffer from chronic malnutrition. Opportunities for social mobility, health, mental well-being, cognitive development, and education are tragically diminished when children are denied adequate nutrition.
It is clear that this is not a problem that can be solved with charity; this is a matter of human rights, and as such, public policies must be demanded to address it. Eating well is essential for a dignified life, a fundamental aspect of Sumak Kawsay (Good Living), the guiding principle of the Ecuadorian Constitution. Furthermore, regarding connectivity, rural areas barely reach 20% internet access. A quality connection is now part of the educational infrastructure and constitutes a basic service that must be guaranteed—especially given the primary focus on virtual education during the pandemic. There is ample evidence that, given the aforementioned circumstances, the educational gaps between urban and rural areas have widened.
The mobilization in Ecuador is entirely coherent, and its demands are justified because they express profound discontent and demand dignified living conditions. Meanwhile, the government's response is reprehensible, as it criminalizes protesters, uses excessive force, militarizes the country, and perpetuates racism and contempt for its citizens. We stand in solidarity with all those who, exercising their fundamental right to protest, are in the streets demanding to be heard by the Ecuadorian government so that it may shed its authoritarian tendencies and effectively implement public policies that benefit the marginalized majority.
For the right to education, for a dignified life, and for peace with social justice.
June 23th, 2022
CLACSO Working Group
Educational policies and the right to education
This statement expresses the position of the Working Group Educational policies and the right to education and not necessarily that of the centers and institutions that make up the CLACSO international network, its Steering Committee or its Executive Secretariat.
