The march for “Water, Life and Dignity” arrived yesterday in the capital city, Quito. The activists, who are protesting against mining activities in Ecuador, are looking to meet with government authorities in order to present them with a list of 19 demands.
The document includes laws on water management and land distribution.
Many social sectors mobilised two weeks ago to reject mining activities in Ecuador. Representatives of the march will be met by the Ecuadorian Minister of Police, Betty Tola, and by the president of the National Assembly, Fernando Cordero.
The march, organised by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (CONAIE) joined other indigenous marchers from the northern Andes of Ecuador.
Moreover, hundreds of protesters in support of the administration of the Ecuadorian president, Rafael Correa, also gathered on Thursday in Quito to show their support for the president.
During a previous ceremony in the northeast of Ecuador, the president stated that the government had always been open to dialogue with indigenous leaders.
However, some government officials accused the marchers who oppose state mining policies of intending to stage an electoral coup.
In response to this, Humberto Cholango, the president of CONAIE, stated that the movement is peaceful, and that it does not aim to destabalise Rafael Correa’s government.
Ecuadorian authorities have scheduled different routes to avoid clashes between the two groups who will gather in the central park of El Arbolito and in Plaza de la Independencia.
Story courtesy of Agencia Púlsar (link to http://www.agenciapulsar.org/), the AMARC-ALC news agency.
