By now, you may have heard about the social unrest happening in Ecuador.   Following the announcement of austerity measures on October 2^nd, (see our previous articles for more details), many Ecuadorians expressed their disapproval by participating in demonstrations throughout the country.   Several indigenous communities organized marches from the highlands and the Amazon into Quito, blocking various roads leading into the city.   CONAIE, the largest indigenous organization in Ecuador (the majority of Ecuador’s 16 million inhabitants are indigenous) is the main interlocutor in negotiations with the government.

It’s important to note that on the sidelines, there appear to be other groups intent on intensifying chaos.  There has been some looting and vandalism.  Some government offices have been temporarily invaded and in some cases destroyed.   It appears that these groups are operating independently, or in some cases, encouraged or led by supporters of the previous president, Rafael Correa (who currently lives in Belgium) indicating that there are undercurrents of political power plays at work as well.

In response to ongoing disturbances yesterday, the president imposed a curfew in Quito and suburbs (no other parts of the country) and called on the military to maintain order in affected areas.  He called on residents to stay at home.  In his mid-afternoon televised address, the president said:

"Citizens, everything is completely clear to us and to our indigenous brothers.  It’s the drug traffickers, the Latin criminal kings, the correistas who are responsible for the acts of vandalism.  Thankfully, indigenous groups are already detecting them and separating them from their ranks. It is important that this call for dialogue has been welcomed by them and I thank them and congratulate them.  

We are going to restore order throughout Ecuador. We start with the curfew in Quito. I have arranged for the Joint Command of the Armed Forces immediately to take the necessary measures and operations. We will restore order throughout Ecuador. I have arranged for the Armed Forces to apply the curfew in the city of Quito. Citizens, from this we will go out together and may God bless us.”

CONAIE president Jaime Vargas called on the indigenous groups to ignore those who were attempting to divide them, making specific reference to factions that were aligned with the former president, Rafael Correa.  In a statement yesterday, CONAIE agreed to accept the government’s invitation to a dialogue, made on Friday.  The meeting will take place today at 3PM local time.  One of the conditions for this dialogue is the cancellation of the decision on the removal of fuel subsidies, but it is not clear at this time if the government has indicated any willingness to move on this issue.  

CONAIE is keen on ensuring full transparency of the proceedings, requesting that they take place under the supervision of the United Nations, Amnesty International, the Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference.

CONAIE appears to be a mature stakeholder in the ongoing standoff in Ecuador. While it loosely represents a very large part of the Ecuadorian population, and while it has not hesitated to use peaceful pressure tactics in getting its way, it seems to have popular support and the capacity to take a leadership role in helping resolve the situation.   In so doing, it could help sideline and expose the smaller factions that appear to be more intent on exploiting the disruptions caused by the largely peaceful marches for private or political gain.    This acceptance to enter into dialogue with the president should be seen as an important development in helping resolve the current conflict.  

CONAIE’s condition on re-instating the subsidies is a big ask.   These currently cost the government over $1B / year.   Some movement on this point, even if it must be temporary, or partial will likely be required in order for the current government to get things back to normal.   

 

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? 

In Galapagos, things remain calm.   Nor airports nor tourists are the target of protesters.   As we suggested in an earlier post, for our guests who are preparing for their upcoming trip to Ecuador, we recommend the following:

If your travel date is further than 12 days into the future, we suggest that you monitor the situation and plan on things coming back to normal in time for your trip. There is no need to cancel anything.   See:  https://ec.usembassy.gov/news-events/

If your travel date is within the next 12 days, CNH Tours will contact you directly to start a discussion on options, and to plan for the possibility of a need to modify your itinerary or to cancel your trip if this is considered necessary.