Demonstrations are planned for this Wednesday in several cities, including Quito, the capital.

“We are taking to the streets to defend our rights, demand justice, and reject the criminalization of protest and the government’s brutal repression,” stated the UNE in its call.

Ecuador has experienced more than 20 consecutive days of protests in different parts of the country, primarily in mountainous provinces, driven by the indigenous movement.

With the intervention of the police and military, the government of Daniel Noboa seeks to end the demonstrations this week.

“We hope it ends today, and I would say tomorrow at the latest, but we will not allow the situation to drag on all week,”Government Minister Zaida Rovira said on Tuesday.

The day before, thousands of uniformed officers carried out an operation in the northern province of Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of the indefinite national strike called by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) against the elimination of the diesel subsidy.

The movement also calls on the government to reduce the Value Added Tax (VAT), which went from 12 to 15 percent, in order to allocate those funds to the fight against organized crime and insecurity. However, violence persists and the number of homicides continues to rise.

The Alliance of Human Rights Organizations and other groups warned of the indiscriminate military repression in Imbabura, where a “humanitarian” convoy repressed indigenous communities, leaving dozens injured.

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