Equador: First great victory against the IMF

United Nations-backed dialogue table installed between Lenin Moreno’s governement and leaders of Indigenous organizations reached a historic deal Sunday to revoke pro-IMF Decree 883, end strikes across the country, and to set up a comission that will write the new document that will replace it.

The U.N. Representative in Ecuador Arnaud Peral informed that the new decree will be drawn up by organizations of the Indigenous movement, participants from the dialogue and the government with mediation from the international body and the Catholic church.

In a televised speech on Oct. 3, Moreno announced executive order 883 which “liberates the price of diesel and extra gasoline,” justifying his decision by saying that the Ecuadorean state allocates more than US$1.3 billion a year in fuel subsidies.

A day later prices increased by 25 to 120 percent starting, as the gallon of gasoline will go from US$1.85 to US$2.30. While diesel, used by most freight transport, will increase from US$1.03 to US$2.27. A meassure that was part of the US$4.2 billion deal with the International Monetary Fund.

Massive protests, mainly led by the Indigenous sector, began and have reached 12 days until Sunday.

“We’ve got more than 2,000 injured, 1.000 prisoners, 10 killed … 100 missing, we have had human rights violations, we ask for the resignation of Minister Romo and Minister Jarrín, only then will we have peace and freedom,” Ecuadorean Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (Conaie) President Jaime Vargas said, thanking all that joined the protests or helped those that came to Quito.