ECUADOR: MILITANT OPPOSITION TO ANDEAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT BLOCKADES SEVERAL REGIONS, MOVES TO CAPITAL.
Protests paralyzed the northern and central regions of Ecuador in mid-March, as indigenous opponents to the government signing the Andean Free Trade Agreement (AFTA) blockaded highways. The movement brought down President Alfredo Palacio's Interior Minister Alfredo Castillo, the latest to resign from the Cabinet since Palacio came to power less than a year ago. On March 21, Palacio declared a state of emergency and ordered troops to remove blockades from the nation's roads.
North, central provinces shut down
The provinces of Cotopaxi, Tungurahua, Chimborazo, and Pastaza were left incommunicado as dialogue between the government and the Confederacion de Nacionalidades Indigenas de Ecuador (CONAIE), the country's main indigenous umbrella group, broke down. Protestors were demanding a rejection of AFTA and the expulsion of US-based Occidental Petroleum Corp, as well as calling for the company to pay back taxes it allegedly owes the government (see NotiSur, 2004-09-10). Carchi, Imbabura, Picincha, and Azuay provinces also saw many blockades along the Pan-American Highway and other secondary roads, as protestors laid rocks, tree trunks, and burning tires across them. The Associated Press reported that blockades were set up in 11 provinces in all.
Thousands of police and soldiers were deployed to clear blocked highways on March 22 after the government declared a state of emergency in four provinces. The measure, announced late the night before, suspended constitutional rights to public assembly and gave police and the military broad powers to impose curfews and make arrests in Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, Imbabura, and Canar provinces, as well as the towns of Tabacundo and Cayambe.
About 1,500 Indians and students marched peacefully through the capital, Quito, on March 22, chanting, "We don't want to be a North American colony!" and "Get out, Occidental." The demonstrators dispersed when police prevented them from approaching the government palace. No confrontations or arrests were reported at that protest.
Minor skirmishes between rock-throwing Indian protesters and police were reported in Imbabura, north of the capital, but the road clearing in other parts of the highlands occurred without serious incident. In Cotopaxi and Chimborazo provinces, south of the capital, local media reported sporadic tie-ups from blockades.
"Violent repression" wounds dozens
By the week of March 20, many of the provincial blockades had come down, but CONAIE was making efforts to transport indigenous protestors to the Carondolet presidential palace in Quito. Indigenous leaders said 30 of their members were injured in clashes with police.
Prior reports from the Federation Internationale des Ligues des Droits de l'Homme (FIDH) denounced "violent repression" during indigenous protests...
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