AFP – General Indigenous people try to enter Congress of Ecuador after 11 days of protests 24/06/2022 06:00

Indigenous people trying to enter Congress yesterday were confronted by Ecuadorian police, after the government’s attempt to pave the way for dialogue and end the wave of demonstrations that lasted 11 days and resulted in the deaths of four people.

Protesting the cost of living, protesters have turned back to advance in the Ecuadorian capital. In the front the women walked with their arms crossed. Behind him, thousands of indigenous people tried to break the police barrier protecting the National Assembly.

Police responded with tear gas and morale, while protesters responded with Molotov cocktails, fireworks and stones.

A 39-year-old protester was killed by gunfire, according to the Alliance of Human Rights Organizations, which has registered four victims due to the crisis, the clashes that spread to a neighboring park.

In the morning, right-wing President Guillermo Lasso showed for the first time his willingness to dialogue: he bowed to one of the protesters’ demands and ordered the army to leave the Casa da Cultura, a symbolic place for locals. It is located in the center of the capital of Ecuador. .

A great march was held, waving flags and shouting joy, to the complex, which is under the control of the soldiers in an exceptional situation, which is in force in some provinces today.

“This is a victory of the struggle,” congratulated indigenous leader Leonidas Iza, head of the Confederation of Indigenous Peoples (Conaie). But the violent attack on the outer space of the Legislature may have scuttled negotiation options in a semi-paralyzed country with a daily loss of $50 million.

“We demand that we continue to pursue paths that allow us to reconcile peace. Dialogue is the only way that guarantees reconciliation,” said police commander Fausto Salinas.

Nearly 14,000 protesters mobilized across the country to stave off the high cost of living, exacerbated by rising fuel prices. Most marches in Quito are peaceful, but at night there are disturbances and clashes with popular power.