Indigenous Leader Arrested in Ecuador for Inciting Violence

A peaceful anti-government protest in Quito, the capital city of Ecuador erupted into chaos and led to the arrest of Leonidas Iza, an indigenous leader suspected of instigating violence. 

Protesters marched to demand the reduction of fuel prices, a low price rate for agricultural products, and overturn the privatization of public sectors. The police force used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse the crowd after the destruction of properties, and the placement of road blocks with burning tires. This only intensified the already unstable political tension between the oppositions.

In an interview with Lucia Newman, Iza expressed the persistent need for the longevity and widespread of the movement voicing, “the mobilization is national, it’s regional, and the mobilization if indefinite. If the president gives us answers today then we will stop. If the president does not give answers to any of our demands, then we will continue indefinitely.”

Ecuadorian police took to twitter on Tuesday, June 14  to announce the arrest of the president of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie) Leonidas Iza in Pastocalle, about 12 miles (20 kilometers) south of Quito. The premises of the detention are under suspicion of unspecified “offenses.” 

As proclaimed by AP, “Suspected protesters recently destroyed police vehicles, attacked and damaged private vehicles, broke into private flower farms in the center of the country, and destroyed public property in the center of the capital.” 

Ecuadorian president Guillermo Lasso publicly condemned the chaos displayed at the march stating, “the arrests of the minds and perpetrators of these violent acts have begun, now it’s up to the prosecution and the judiciary to act, because no one is above the law,” (AP). 

Anti-government demonstrations carried out by Conaie in 2019 resulted in 11 deaths under the presidency of Lenin Moreno. The movement nearly overthrew his government, and forced him to backtrack plans for fuel subsidies for production companies. 

The coronavirus pandemic has heightened issues fuel producers and consumers alike face in the country. Rising inflation, unemployment, and poverty magnified the economic recession, thus Conaie is demanding more than just low gas prices this time around. Janeth Llanos, an indigenous farmer spoke to Lucia Newman and asserted her deep concerns towards the difficulties her and others face stating, “we’re literally starving to death. There is no work, farm products are minimized, there is no proper support from the government with the rise in fuel prices, everything is more expensive.” 

President Guillermo Lasso also said further disruptions will not be tolerated. During his public dissent towards the unpeaceful events, he mentioned his government’s priority moving forwards, and did not go into details about the crisis indigenous people are enduring. “Just now as we are beginning to get back on our feet from the pandemic, we cannot allow political groups who want to destabilize Ecuador and profit from the chaos paralyze our country” (Al Jazeera).