Former president of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), Leonidas Iza, denounced before the international community the repression by security forces against the demonstrations held as part of the strike.

The situation took place in Cajas sector of Cayambe, Pichincha province, where the military resorted to repression in an attempt to break up the protest.

Iza stated that the executive branch is using “economic terrorism” to satisfy imperial and IMF interests, persecutes social leaders, and runs the country “like its hacienda.”

While most of the country’s roads are currently open and everything is operating normally in the cities, the Integrated Security System (ECU 911) reported road closures in the provinces of Imbabura and Pichincha, in the northern highlands of the country, due to demonstrations.

The Indigenous movement already led historic protests in 2019 and 2022 against the neoliberal measures of then-presidents Lenin Moreno (2017-2021) and Guillermo Lasso (2021-2023), who were forced to back down when they attempted to eliminate fuel subsidies.

At that time, the Noboa administration said it would not negotiate the diesel subsidy measure and warned that those who engage in acts of terrorism, illegal roadblocks, and organized violence will be punished according to the law.

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