Ecuador erupts over US influence

The Ecuadorian government declared a state of emergency in four provinces on Mar. 21 to curb nine days of indigenous protests against a proposed free-trade deal with the United States. The protesters insist an agreement with the US would harm their economy and their culture, and would only benefit the wealthy. The state of emergency lifts constitutional rights to public assembly and gives police and the military broad powers to make arrests. The protests began on Mar. 13 when several thousand indigenous across the highlands and parts of Ecuador's eastern jungle constructed road blockades, demanded that President Alfredo Palacio pull Ecuador's trade negotiators out of Washington and threatened to oust him from office if he signs the free-trade pact with the United States. The protesters are also demanding the ousting from Ecuador of US oil firm Occidental (Oxy) and the convening of a Constitutional Assembly. The indigenous movement's political party, Pachakutik, has softened that position slightly–party coordinator Humberto Talagua said on Mar. 21, "We don't want to overthrow any government." But he warned that Palacio was setting himself up for a fall from power by insisting on the free trade deal. The leading Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador accuse Palacio of reaching a "compromise with the nation's oligarchies" and "committing the country to a process of no return with the signing of a free trade deal with the United States." The impoverished protesters clashed with police and soldiers in several parts of the country. Riots occurred in at least 11 of the country's twenty-two provinces. "The government has ordered full repression against demonstrators," stressed Santiago de la Cruz, a leader from the indigenous federation, who accused Palacio's administration of curtailing "freedom of expression and the right to protest, which are safeguarded by the Constitution." De la Cruz warned that the protests will continue as long as necessary until the government agrees to "our demands: No free trade talks and out with Oxy." The indigenous movement have blocked roads in 11 provinces with burning tires, rocks and tree trunks, tying up traffic and commerce for several days. Police fired tear gas at stone-throwing protesters as they blocked roadways around the capital with rocks and tree trunks. The demonstrations have gathered force as hundreds of indigenous citizens have walked down from hamlets in the Andes mountains to join the blockades. Amid this situation, the transport union has been threatening a national strike as 4,000 trucks are stopped due to the roadblocks. The organized confederation of indigenous groups accuse the US of exercising too much influence in the region and contend that Ecuadorian farmers and small-scale Indian producers cannot compete with inexpensive US agricultural imports that threaten to flood their markets. The indigenous, who make up an estimated 30 percent of Ecuador's total population of 13 million, fear the trade deal will disrupt their agricultural traditions and push them out of their communities. "This trade deal will starve us to death," said Maria Sillo, a mother of three who plants vegetables and makes about $15 a week selling her produce in a nearby market. "We prefer to die fighting this deal than to starve to death." Leaders of the movement said they would maintain protests in several central provinces until the government calls a referendum on the trade pact. The movement is one of the most powerful voices for indigenous people in the Americas. Three presidents have been toppled by popular and congressional unrest in Ecuador in less than a decade. After centuries of discrimination by the elite, the indigenous organized to help overthrow President Jamil Mahuad in 2000. His successor, army Col. Lucio Gutierrez, had appointed several indigenous leaders to his cabinet, but his alliance fell apart within eight months after he implemented free-market policies. Congress voted to fire Gutierrez a year ago and appointed Palacio, the elected vice president, to finish his term after Gutierrez disbanded the Supreme Court and declared a state of emergency, sparking street protests in Quito. "For too many years we have been discriminated against," said Dioselinda Iza, an indigenous leader. "Enough is enough. We have to stop this deal." The debate over the talks has already led to the resignation of Ecuador's interior minister, who stepped down after making comments that appeared to support the demonstrators' demands. The latest protests broke out a day after Palacio diffused a strike by contract oil workers and two weeks after his government ended violent demonstrations targeting oil facilities by agreeing to increase spending on social programs, roads and a regional airport.