Ecuadorian government, indigenous leaders hold first meeting in protest

Quito — The Ecuadorian government and indigenous leaders have had their first formal meeting on Saturday since the massive protests began two weeks ago. And President Guillermo Lasso relaxed safety measures.

The June 13 demonstration, supported by indigenous demands to lower fuel and food prices, killed at least six civilians and attacked security forces multiple times. ..

The protests exacerbated Lasso's hostile relationship with members of parliament. There, lawmakers blocked his major economic proposal as he struggled to contain the heightened violence blaming drug gangs.

Saturday night parliament was set up to meet to discuss Lasso's dismissal at the request of some opposition lawmakers, but the group needs to approve. I don't seem to have a vote with. Such measures.

After the meeting on Saturday, Lasso ended exceptional conditions in six states at the request of indigenous leaders.

"The government has reiterated its willingness to guarantee the creation of space for peace," the Lasso press said in a statement.

Government statutory agent Fabian Pozo told parliament that the country was gradually returning to normal and the government was listening to the legitimate demands of protesters.

This week, the government also announced subsidized fertilizers, debt forgiveness, and budget increases for health and education, but formal talks between the government and protesters, led by indigenous group CONAIE, marched. The conflict was stagnant for several days. Continued.

"As Congress, we called on Congress to ease tensions to reduce conflicts until a solution was found," Congress chief Virgilio Saquicela told journalists. rice field.

CONAIE leader Leonidas Iza and several government ministers attended the meeting, Saxela added.

Isa partially opens a road blocked during a protest by an indigenous group to allow food to flow into the capital, where residents are complaining of a shortage of supplies, but from Lasso. He said he would stay in Kito until he got a satisfactory answer.

"We are not going to leave the spilled blood of our brothers here. We came with a purpose," Isa told the demonstrators.

Security forces say rubber bullets could be used to quell violence and criminals used firearms to invade the march.

Indigenous groups have demanded that oil and mining projects be shut down, demonstrators have invaded flower fields and oil fields, and some facilities have reported equipment damage.

The oil industry was unable to produce one million barrels of crude oil, the Ministry of Energy said Saturday, a loss of about $ 96 million.

The Mirador Copper Mine also said it had shut down due to a road closure that cut off the necessary supply. (Report by Alexandra Valencia, Written by Julia Symmes Cobb, Edited by Daniel Wallis and Alistair Bell)