Ecuador’s indigenous people are leading the anti-government protests. They have a record of ousting presidents.

Kimberley Brown. Washington Post. October 10, 2019

QUITO, Ecuador — Juan Oshcu traveled more than six hours from his rural farm, walking and hitching rides, to reach the Ecuadoran capital. For three nights, he’s slept on wooden benches in one of the city’s cultural centers, a temporary base for the thousands of indigenous protesters who’ve arrived here this week.

“We have risen to say, in one united voice, ‘Enough, Mr. President!’” said Oshcu, a small-scale farmer from the indigenous Kichwa community of Latacunga.

Labor unions, women’s rights groups and students all are protesting the austerity package introduced this month by President Lenín Moreno. But Ecuador’s majority indigenous population is now at the heart of the demonstrations that have paralyzed this South American country — a challenging development for Moreno, given the movement’s success at ousting previous presidents.

The country braced Thursday for an eighth day of protests in Quito and other cities, sparked last week when Moreno announced labor and tax changes and withdrew decades-old fuel subsidies — part of a belt-tightening program required under a $4.2 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund.

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Protesters have blocked streets in the capital and highways in the countryside; occupied government buildings, oil fields, water-treatment facilities and a hydroelectric plant; and clashed with security forces. Moreno has called for dialogue but says he won’t reverse the austerity measures, which he says are needed after years of overspending by his predecessor, Rafael Correa.

“It’s necessary to correct grave economic errors,” he said last week.

Moreno declared a state of emergency and, as protesters descended on the capital this week, moved his administration 270 miles south to the port city of Guayaquil. Security forces have surrounded key facilities and fired tear gas and pepper spray. Five people have been killed, scores wounded and more than 680 arrested. Officials have put economic losses at more than $1 billion.

Ecuadorans have a history of ousting presidents, driven mainly by the indigenous movement. Most recently in 2005, Lucio Gutiérrez’s attempt to introduce austerity measures under an IMF agreement prompted tens of thousands to protest, and lawmakers voted to remove him.

This time, CONAIE, the national indigenous federation, is by far the largest organized group protesting. CONAIE President Jaime Vargas says that the community rejects the government’s new reforms and subsidy cuts but that their complaint goes further.

“Our fight is in defense of our territories,” he said. He said measures to appease the IMF have led to increased oil and mining in indigenous lands, actions that “don’t respect the collective rights of the indigenous people.”

Vargas says he won’t speak with the government unless it agrees to reverse the austerity measures and stop selling concessions of their land to oil and mining companies.

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Many here have noted parallels between 2005 and 2019. But Vargas has stressed that the indigenous movement is not trying to destabilize Moreno’s government.

Political analyst Decio Machado says if the government falls, it won’t be because of the indigenous movement but rather for mistakes he says it has been making since protests began: calling the state of emergency, cracking down on protests and refusing to negotiate over the austerity measures.

Oshcu, in Quito, says cutting the fuel subsidies affects indigenous farmers in the countryside directly because it raises the costs of transporting their goods to collection centers.

“When the price of gasoline rises, the income for the community decreases,” he said. “That’s why we came.”

Violent clashes have been reported in cities including Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca. Indigenous demonstrators are putting eucalyptus leaves in their noses to filter the tear gas and pepper spray.

“We are here for our rights,” Oshcu said. “If you don’t like that idea, then get out of the presidency.”