State of Emergency Declared in Ecuador Amid Indigenous Protests
The president of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, declared a new state of emergency on Saturday in ten of the country’s twenty-four provinces due to ‘serious internal unrest’ stemming from indigenous protests against cuts to the fuel subsidy, which the president alleges have turned violent, reports 24brussels.
The declaration targets the provinces of Pichincha, Cotopaxi, Tungurahua, Chimborazo, Bolívar, Cañar, Azuay, Orellana, Sucumbíos, and Pastaza. It aims to address escalating tensions and disruptions as demonstrations organized by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie) intensify.
This move follows a ruling from the Constitutional Court on Friday that annulled a prior state of emergency enacted by Noboa in five provinces, affirming its constitutionality only in Carchi and Imbabura provinces. The court’s decision limited the government’s ability to exercise emergency powers over the broader areas affected by the unrest.
Noboa stated in his decree that “the limits of the legitimate exercise of the rights to protest and resistance have been exceeded, constituting a serious disruption of public order that exceeds the control capacities of ordinary measures.” Consequently, he suspended the right to freedom of assembly in the designated provinces, restricting gatherings aimed at disrupting public services around the clock for a period of 60 days.
The urgency of this measure was exacerbated by remarks from Conaie President Marlon Vargas, who warned that protests could escalate further towards a potential occupation of Quito if the government fails to meet the demands of indigenous communities. “If the government doesn’t listen, we will be forced to take Quito. We can no longer tolerate this. We can’t keep enduring it,” Vargas declared in a meeting with Chimborazo communities on Friday.
In response, CONAIE reiterated its commitment to opposing authoritarianism and unjust policies, emphasizing that “the people remain steadfast against authoritarianism and policies that impoverish the country,” as stated in a post on X.
The situation continues to develop as tensions rise between the government and indigenous groups, complicating Ecuador’s political landscape and raising concerns over civil liberties amidst escalating unrest.