QUITO —
The head of
Ecuador’s armed forces on Tuesday denounced as a “grave threat” to
democracy the wave of Indigenous-led fuel price protests that have triggered
regional states of emergency and a curfew in the capital Quito.
اضافة اعلان
On the ninth day
of protests that have seen roads barricaded countrywide, cost the economy tens
of millions of dollars and left dozens injured, Defense Minister Luis Lara
warned that the armed forces “will not allow attempts to break the
constitutional order or any action against democracy and the laws of the
republic”.
“Ecuador’s
democracy faces a grave threat from the concerted actions of agitated people
who are preventing the free movement of the majority of Ecuadorans,” charged
Lara, flanked by the heads of the army, navy, and air force.
President
Guillermo Lasso on Monday extended a state of emergency to cover six of the country’s 24
provinces as he sought to curtail the demonstrations.
The powerful
Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie) — credited with
helping topple three presidents between 1997 and 2005 — called the countrywide protests
as Ecuadorans increasingly struggle to make ends meet.
Indigenous people
comprise more than a million of Ecuador’s 17.7 million inhabitants, and their
movement has since been joined by students, worker and others feeling the
economic pinch.
Police said Monday
63 armed forces personnel have been wounded in clashes and 21 others briefly
held hostage since the protests began, while human rights observers reported 79
arrests and 55 civilians wounded.
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