Ecuador | President accuses protesters of wanting to ‘perpetrate a coup’

(Quito) Indigenous people who have been demonstrating for a dozen days against the cost of living in Ecuador want to “perpetrate a coup”, President Guillermo Lasso accused Friday as new clashes resumed outside Parliament in Quito .

“The goal of all this violence is to perpetrate a coup,” said Mr. Lasso, who said he remained “open to a dialogue that would achieve concrete results.”

“We call on the international community to warn against this attempt to destabilize democracy in Ecuador,” he continued in a televised address.

Nearly 14,000 indigenous demonstrators are mobilized across the country to protest against the rising cost of living and demand in particular a drop in fuel prices according to the police, who estimate their number at nearly 10,000 in the capital.

The violence left six dead and dozens injured, while Quito is largely paralyzed and its access blocked by numerous roadblocks. Friday evening, violent clashes with the police resumed near the Parliament that the demonstrators had tried to invest Thursday.

At the throwing of stones and objects of all kinds, the police responded with water cannons and with tear gas and sound grenades, AFP noted.

The leader of the movement, Leonidas Iza, head of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie), spearhead organization of the demonstrations, warned Friday in an interview with AFP that the mobilization will last “until obtaining results “.

“Mr. Iza’s public statements make it clear that he never intended to solve the problems of indigenous peoples and nationalities, but only sought to deceive his base and overthrow an elected government,” Mr. Lasso.

“Iza is no longer in control. He no longer has any control over the protests and the criminality that his irresponsible actions have generated,” he lamented.

“We have taken all necessary steps to insist on dialogue, we have shown every sign of good faith and we say to all the leaders of social organizations and communities who have already contacted us that we remain open to reach a dialogue with concrete results”, reaffirmed the Ecuadorian Head of State.

“To our indigenous and peasant brothers and sisters who were brought to Quito under false pretenses, we ask to return to their communities for their safety and that of their families,” he pleaded.

“The government will use all legal means at its disposal to deal with vandals and criminals. […] The national police and the armed forces will act with the necessary means to defend within the legal framework, through the progressive use of force, public order and democracy”, affirmed Mr. Lasso.

“We will bring peace to Ecuador”, in the interest of “all citizens who only want to work, to return to normality”, he concluded.