Turmoil in Ecuador

[Hervé]

Ecuador declares state of emergency amid fuel protests (https://www.dw.com/en/ecuador-declares-state-of-emergency-amid-fuel-protests/a-50692449)

Deutsche Welle
cmb/cmk (EFE, AP, Reuters)

https://images-ext-2.discordapp.net/external/mZlCFa75P4cvQCBXbuBu3u74XCIJ6cdofJvPiLopG-4/https/cdn.japantimes.2xx.jp/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/f-ecuador-a-20191005-870x579.jpg?width=797&height=531

After announcing a multibillion-dollar fiscal reform package, President Lenin Moreno is now facing street protests and transport strikes. The reform measures are aimed at improving the country's economic revenue.


https://www.dw.com/image/50692648_303.jpg (https://www.dw.com/en/ecuador-declares-state-of-emergency-amid-fuel-protests/a-50692449#)

Ecuador's President Lenin Moreno (https://www.dw.com/en/ecuadors-president-claims-julian-assange-was-spying-from-embassy/a-48333388) has declared a state of emergency in response to nationwide protests over fiscal reforms valued over $2 billion (€1.8 billion) per year.

Moreno announced the package of reforms on Tuesday; its measures include tax reform, relaxing labor protections and doing away with 40-year-old fuel subsidies. He said the elimination of the fuel subsidies was needed to lift the economy and stop smuggling.

In a television address, Moreno said the price of gasoline would go up to $2.30 a gallon from $1.85 and the cost of diesel up to $2.27 from $1.03.

Moreno also announced that Ecuador would be leaving the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), of which it is the smallest member, on January 1, 2020 in order to increase its exports beyond the restrictions imposed by the group.


https://www.dw.com/image/50692685_401.jpg (https://www.dw.com/en/ecuador-declares-state-of-emergency-amid-fuel-protests/a-50692449#)

Protesters included university students, union members and indigenous rights' activists

Tear gas and arrests
Increased fuel prices went into effect on Thursday, prompting Ecuadorians to take to the streets of the capital, Quito, and Guayaquil, the country's largest city.

Taxi, bus and truck drivers blocked streets and bus stations were closed for a nationwide transport strike, forcing the government to suspend schools.

Various groups of protesters blocked roads, burned tires and scuffled with police, who responded in certain instances with tear gas.

The demonstrators put the fuel measures at the forefront of their protest message, but also called for the general repeal of the package.

According to the Interior Ministry, some 19 people were arrested in relation to the protests.

Moreno: No going back
Moreno said he called the state of emergency "to ensure citizens' security and avoid chaos." The measure suspends some civil rights, allows authorities to commandeer public or private property and empowers the military to keep order.

Hours later, he told reporters that order had been restored and praised the armed forces and police. "The areas of violence are being controlled almost totally," he said.

Moreno, who has promoted market-friendly policies since his election in 2017 (https://www.dw.com/en/ecuadors-new-president-wont-evict-wikileaks-hacker-assange/a-39052524), said he would not backtrack on the fiscal reform. He described the fuel subsidies as "perverse" and said they had distorted Ecuador's economy.

Ecuador, which has a population of 17 million, has a long history of political and economic instability.

Prior to Moreno taking office, the country had been on a leftist economic course under Rafael Correa (https://www.dw.com/en/ecuador-ex-president-rafael-correa-faces-criminal-trial-over-2012-kidnapping/a-46202788) for 10 years. It is currently struggling with high levels of public debt.

Moreno's administration reached a $4.2 billion deal with the International Monetary Fund in February. However, many remain skeptical of its austerity policies.

===================================

PS: Bill and Mara are both alright :)

[pyrangello]

Anybody heard from Bill Ryan since this started?

[Forest Denizen]

Anybody heard from Bill Ryan since this started?

pyrangello, you must’ve missed the tail end of Hervé’s post.. Bill has been having a bit of an unplanned adventure but he and Mara are fine. I’m sure he’ll post about it when he is back online :highfive:

[Bill Ryan]

Anybody heard from Bill Ryan since this started?

pyrangello, you must’ve missed the tail end of Hervé’s post.. Bill has been having a bit of an unplanned adventure but he and Mara are fine. I’m sure he’ll post about it when he is back online :highfive:

Many thanks, and yes, all's well. But, OMG. :facepalm:

I heard about the protests on Thursday morning, but needed to head into town, 20 miles away, as my cupboard was fairly bare. Bad timing! I finally got to sleep last night at midnight after a 48 hour day.

I'd figured if I hit a roadblock (trucks and buses across the road, plus burning tires and trees) I'd simply turn round and return home. That's what happened, but by that time there was another new roadblock behind me. So I was sandwiched between them.

I ventured out on to the mountain dirt roads, with no map or GPS. I navigated three (one on Thursday, one overnight, and another yesterday). Each time I was getting slightly nearer home. Finally, I was totally trapped, but was able to borrow a mountain bike (there are some very nice people here!) and make it back home to feed Mara, who'd had nothing to eat for 36 hours and had no clue where I was.

Then with Mara taken care of, I had to return the bike (now carrying a backpack of survival supplies) and go rescue my vehicle. I finally got home last night, after encountering a last roadblock just 500 meters from my house.

The guys wanted money, and had a machete. I locked my doors, rolled up my window, put it into first and floored the accelerator. I crashed through the road block with the only damage being the guy with the machete crashing it down on my hood making a nice dent. (Just another war wound!)

Because they were probably local and might know where I lived (the only gringo around, with a distinctive old vehicle), I brought Mara inside, locked up the entire house, locked the gate (something I rarely do), and turned off every light. I slept for 10 hours, and everything was fine.

But here are the political points. All this is SO dumb.

Increasing the previously subsidized price of diesel from $1.03 to $2.39 was always going to cause apocalyptic trouble. A high-school kid in their first economics class could see that. Not only was it a nationwide shock that no-one had foreseen, if the increases stick it's BOUND to trigger fast inflation as the costs of transporting everything, including people, more than double.

The unions have now said they'll call off the protests, but no-one has told the truck, bus and taxi drivers. Or the citizens, who in a bewildering display of organization had blocked literally every asphalted road in Ecuador, and some of the dirt roads, too. Here's a quaint photo I took yesterday during one of many failed forays to get home.

This was on a mountain road in the middle of NOWHERE. A local farming family had took it on themselves to cut down a large tree and burn it. You can see all the little kids playing, all having a great time. :) This family probably doesn't even own a vehicle, but they're still doing their thing for the country (they believe).

http://projectavalon.net/Ecuador_mountain_road_block_sm.jpg

There's nothing on the roads today, either, whatever the news reports claim. The country is still stopped dead, and it's all continuing. I'm taking stock of my supplies, but I'm in reasonably good shape here.

A couple of interesting final points.


This is 'people power', too (see my People Power in Puerto Rico (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?108371-People-power-in-Puerto-Rico) thread) but this seems very different from the protests there. Here, there's violence, some danger, and quite a lot of thuggery. With Puerto Rico, I didn't get that impression at all. It looked more like a big carnival!



And the other interesting thing is that anything can happen at any time. Really, to any of us. Something unexpected can occur literally overnight, and then there's chaos. And the supply chains are so thin and stretched. Everything, including food and fuel supplies, let along people getting to work, depends on transport. If the infrastructure breaks, then the way society is at the moment everything just collapses very quickly. So all in all... it was all quite an instructive experience. And it may not be over yet, at all.

[Sunny-side-up]

Glad you OK Bill, adventures like that you could do with out.

You both stay safe and well.

[boja]

Wishing you All The Best, Bill.

boja.

[Rosemarie]

So good you are safe and sound Bill. I live in Guayaquil on the coast and I am good. In fact life has been normal around my part of town. Thursday everybody had trouble getting to work but they did. Friday it was more difficult. No classes for 2 days.
I have some family friends that have a huge business selling kitchen appliances , a/c, all kinds of electronics big and small. They have branch stores ( hope that is the word ) in poor suburban areas ...... 4 or 5 of them were completely destroyed and left empty on thursday.

Some friends who live outside Cuenca were on their motorcycle on their way to the city when they were stopped by a road block on friday. It was near their farm and some of the indigenous people knew who they were. Still they wanted to make holes in their wheels and when my friend ( a woman ) tried to prevent it she was beaten. Nothing mayor happened but she was soooo mad. She was more mad that scare.

My personal opinion is that this subsidizing gasoline and diesel cannot continue. It has been going on for decades. Correa for all the good things he did , also left us with huge problems including more debts. Just google Ecuador debt to China for example. ( I don’t know how to do it. ) Lenin Moreno is willing to negotiate to find other economic measures to compensate the sectors that have been more affected with this decision, but he says he is not backing up.

The Conaie ( the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador ) have said they will continue with their strike and will start walking from every point in Ecuador to Quito’s general Assembly on Monday to take it over. They are a force to be reckon with.

Edit : you hear so many gossip/ false information, but I am going to fill my car , get more gas to cook, and buy some more food just in case. And correct a word : whole for holes. Ughhhhh

[Bill Ryan]

The Conaie ( the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador ) have said they will continue with their strike and will start walking from every point in Ecuador to Quito’s general Assembly on Monday to take it over. They are a force to be reckon with.
That's really interesting.... I'll stay tuned, and will post updates. The indigenous issue here has been a powder keg just waiting to be lit.


So good you are safe and sound Bill. I live in Guayaquil on the coast and I am good. In fact life has been normal around my part of town. Thursday everybody had trouble getting to work but they did. Friday it was more difficult. No classes for 2 days.

I have some family friends that have a huge business selling kitchen appliances , a/c, all kinds of electronics big and small. They have branch stores ( hope that is the word ) in poor suburban areas ...... 4 or 5 of them were completely destroyed and left empty on thursday.

Some friends who live outside Cuenca were on their motorcycle on their way to the city when they were stopped by a road block on friday. It was near their farm and some of the indigenous people knew who they were. Still they wanted to make holes in their wheels and when my friend ( a woman ) tried to prevent it she was beaten. Nothing mayor happened but she was soooo mad. She was more mad that scared.

Yes, there's a lot of potential violence, targeted against just about anyone (but especially anyone who looks like they may possibly have any money).

I'm going to make my way to the weekly Sunday morning market in the nearest small town tomorrow to stock up on fresh fruit and veg. It's not far (just 10 miles/15 km), but a road block is a road block, and there's a small mountain dirt road that will get me most of the way there. But I'm taking a tow rope, saws, a spade, leather gloves, a heavy metal bar and a machete of my own in case I encounter troublemakers. I'd never use weapons in anger myself, but I can look pretty scary if I really have to. :)



My personal opinion is that this subsidizing gasoline and diesel cannot continue. It has been going on for decades. Correa for all the good things he did , also left us with huge problems including more debts. Just google Ecuador debt to China for example. ( I don’t know how to do it. ) Lenin Moreno is willing to negotiate to find other economic measures to compensate the sectors that have been more affected with this decision, but he says he is not backing up.

Yes, The dumb thing may have been removing the subsidies suddenly, and all at once. A 125% overnight rise in the price of diesel is HUGE. All those costs would be passed straight on to consumers (and particularly, poorer people).

For instance, the bus fare which locals use to take things to the market 20 miles away will probably increase from $0.75 to $2.00. That's an extra $2.50 per day. These folks only earn maybe $300 a month, so for 20 market days in a month, it's an extra $50 in travel. That's 15% of their income, an enormous amount. So that means they'll have to charge more in the market for their produce. Etc, etc, etc.

Much wiser would have been


To announce it first, then gradually start taking measures a couple of weeks later.
To remove the subsidies (and increase the prices) bit by bit, every few weeks. That way, the outrage and reaction would be greatly diluted.

[Rosemarie]

Just for general information. Mimimun wages in some Latin American countries and gasoline prices.

[Rosemarie]

It was just in the news the ANT ( National Transit Agency ) authorize 32% increase for public transportation between provinces and a $0.05 - $0.10 increase for urban transport to be decided by each municipality. Preferencial treatment for older people, disabilities or children remain the same.

[wnlight]

Take care Rosemarie and Bil. I will not return to Ecuador until the 22nd. I wonder if LATAM will be flying then. Here, in Ireland things are so very peaceful it is difficult to imagine the ‘troubles’ now in Ecuador. I also am surprised that Moreno dropped the subsidy all at once.

[Bill Ryan]

An update. Of course, it's only directly relevant to a small number of people reading this, but the bigger picture analogies may be relevant. Things like this could happen anywhere, almost overnight — even in Europe and North America.

And useful to wnlight, too (Warren Light), who lives here but is currently on vacation in Ireland (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?108762-Turmoil-in-Ecuador&p=1317170&viewfull=1#post1317170) — perfect timing!

https://cuencahighlife.com/as-calm-returns-to-cuenca-and-other-cities-police-and-soldiers-move-to-clear-highways

As calm returns, police and soldiers move to clear highways
Oct 6, 2019

Ecuador’s interior ministry says it is mobilizing tens-of-thousands of national police and army troops to clear roadblocks that have paralyzed travel in much of the country. Manned by campesino and indigenous groups protesting economic measures announced last week by President Lenin Moreno, roadblocks have been set up in 14 of the country’s 24 provinces.

https://cuencahighlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/chl-cleanup.pngResidents clean up streets from last week’s protests.

Although protests in major cities have ended and most urban transportation has been restored, it was unclear as of early Monday when inter-provincial bus service would resume.

Also affected by the road closures were shipments of food, fuel and other goods around the country. The interior ministry said it was planning a military escort service, if necessary, to guarantee that delivery vehicles carrying critical supplies could pass through the roadblocks.

Ecuador’s ECU 911 service is maintaining a list of road closures (https://www.ecu911.gob.ec/consulta-de-vias) it says is updated on a continuing basis.

On Sunday, Moreno proposed meetings with protesters blocking highways but his overture was rejected. “We refuse to engage in any discussions until all of the government’s labor and fuel changes have been rescinded,” said Leonidas Iza, president of the Indigenous and Peasant Movement of Cotopaxi who is leading a march on Quito. Some protesting groups are demanding an end to mining operations as well.

https://cuencahighlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/chl-roadblock.png
Residents of Saragura occupy a roadblock

Although the national strike by taxi and bus unions was called off on Friday, there was confusion over the weekend about how much fares would be allowed to increase. In Guayaquil, some urban buses had hiked prices by 10 cents but city officials said the increase was illegal.

The federal government said urban bus fares would be allowed to rise five to 10 cents but the decision was up to municipalities.

On Saturday and Sunday, commercial and social life returned to normal as there was no recurrence of the Thursday and Friday student protests. Groups from two universities carried out clean-up projects in several locations in the historic district. Although some vandalism resulted from last week’s protests, city officials said it was relatively minor, unlike the theft and destruction of property that occurred in Guayaquil, Riobamba and Quito.

After announcing Saturday that elementary and high school classes would resume Monday, the Ministry of Education did an about-face Sunday night, saying schools would remain closed.

Ecuador’s Defense Minister said that police and military troops will be restrained but firm as they to remove roadblocks. “We will do everything possible to avoid violence but warn protesters not to provoke the troops,” Oswaldo Jarrín said Sunday. “They have a job to do, which is to enforce the law.”

Violence erupted at a roadblock in Saraguro in 2015 as military troops moved against anti-government protesters. The clash left several troops and protesters injured and resulted in arrests.

Most markets were well-stocked with produce and meat over the weekend but some shelves in supermarkets such as Supermaxi were empty. Supermaxi issued an apology Sunday, saying that the lack of vegetables, fruit and meat was the result of exceptionally heavy shopping traffic as well as difficulties encountered by delivery trucks.

~~~

Here's a REALLY powerful article about how exactly the same thing could happen in the US. Start reading from the top of page 5. It was first written back in 2004, but it's still 100% relevant.


Protocols For Economic Collapse In America
http://projectavalon.net/Protocols_For_Economic_Collapse_In_America.pdf (http://projectavalon.net/Protocols_For_Economic_Collapse_In_America.pdf)


http://projectavalon.net/Protocols_For_Economic_Collapse_In_America.pdf

[RogeRio]

477 people arrested on Ecuador

QUITO (Reuters) - Indigenous protesters paralyzed roads around Ecuador and blocked a main highway into the capital on Monday in a fifth day of action against government austerity measures that have sparked the worst unrest in years, resulting in 477 arrests.



https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ecuador-protests/ecuador-arrests-rise-to-477-during-unrest-idUSKBN1WM1EP

[Bill Ryan]

Well, it's getting ugly again. A friend was unable to get to town today, even with a bicycle he had as a lifeboat on the back of his truck. He just wasn't allowed through.

And now there are long lines for gas cylinders, for hot water and cooking. Most of the population uses those. (But I have enough here to last 3 months.)

https://ww2.elmercurio.com.ec/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/gas-retoque-696x336.jpg

And the giant market is running low on produce, while the delivery prices have all increased substantially.

And sadly, there was the first fatality today. A motorist trying to force his way through a roadblock ran over a pedestrian. Then the protestors wouldn't even allow the ambulance through, and the paramedic had to make his way on foot, and couldn't save the guy. That's all pretty barbaric.

https://ww2.elmercurio.com.ec/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/atropello2-696x574.jpg

The philosophical takeaway from things like this is how easily our "civilization" descends into barbarism. It can happen in days. Wherever you are in the world, don't ever quite forget that.

You don't need to be a Mad Max prepper, but it's smart to always have "What if?" Plan B somewhere in the back of your mind, just in case something really does happen where you live overnight. I never saw any of this coming, here — no-one did.

[Rosemarie]

https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/07/ecuador-anti-austerity-protests

If somebody can open this link ....
It is getting very ugly. Just got a voice message from an unknown woman that says she is hiding with her kids because the indigenous people are getting angrier. There is infiltration in their mist from other groups with a political agenda and they have been paying the peoole $25 to cause havoc. She lives outside Quito.

The indigenous people have taken prisioners a lot of militaries and they are coming down the mountain by the thousands. They are entering some plantations and destroying everything. Went inside a milk factory called Parmalat in Lasso and destroyed it , they are going to their own marketplaces and destroying everything, burning them. This woman says they went inside a brocoli farm and destroyed all the machinery valued at 5 million dollars. They do not let people work. They enter inside the houses of their own people and tell them to get in a pickup truck that will take them to the bigger cities.

I am trying to write as I listen to the voice mail it was sent to me. Sorry for any mistakes. I am getting in my car and going to buy more food. Gas I have , but was not able to find bottle water

[Delight]

Rosemarie and Bill and all of you there are in my intention for safety in the storm. Maggie

[Bill Ryan]

https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/07/ecuador-anti-austerity-protests

If somebody can open this link ....
For sure. :thumbsup:

Ecuador: indigenous protesters paralyze roads in fifth day of anti-austerity unrest
Reuters in Quito
Mon 7 Oct 2019 18.03 BST

http://projectavalon.net/Ecuador_Quito_road_block.jpg

Measure to eliminate fuel subsidies sparks worst unrest in years, resulting in 477 arrests

Indigenous protesters have paralyzed roads around Ecuador and blocked a main highway into the capital in a fifth day of action against government austerity measures that have sparked the worst unrest in years (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/03/ecuador-state-of-emergency-fuel-subsidies-protest), resulting in 477 arrests.

The umbrella indigenous organization Conaie said demonstrations would continue until President Lenín Moreno withdraws last week’s measure to eliminate fuel subsidies.

“More than 20,000 of us will be arriving in Quito to demand that the government overturn the decree,” the Conaie president, Jaime Vargas, told a news conference, saying that mobilization would coincide with a national strike planned for Wednesday.

(https://theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/03/ecuador-state-of-emergency-fuel-subsidies-protest)Moreno, 66, who has abandoned his predecessor and one-time mentor Rafael Correa’s leftist policies, says he will neither tolerate disorder nor overturn the fuel price hike that is part of a liberal economic reform package.

The interior minister, Paula Romo, told the local Radio Quito that detentions had risen to 477 since Thursday, mainly for vandalism, including the destruction of a dozen ambulances.

Indigenous and workers’ movements again blocked roads on Monday, from the Andean highlands to the Pacific coast, with stones, tires and burning branches.

The northern entry to Quito was paralyzed.

Police erected barricades around the presidential palace, closing off the downtown area while Moreno presided over a government security council meeting to assess the crisis.

The government says two dozen policemen have been injured in clashes with protesters, while a man died when he was hit by a car and an ambulance could not reach him through the barricades.

As well as the detainees for unrest, authorities have also rounded up about 20 shopkeepers for raising food prices illegally in a knock-on effect of higher fuel costs.

A state of emergency is in place.

Although he enjoys the support of business and the military, Moreno’s popularity has sunk to under 30%, compared with 70% after his 2017 election.

Indigenous-led protests brought down three presidents in the years before Correa’s rule.

In a national address on Sunday night, Moreno reiterated calls for dialogue. “I want to talk with the indigenous brothers, with whom we share causes,” he said, adding that resources would be set aside to help the poor and compensate for price rises.

The government is struggling with a large foreign debt and fiscal deficit and earlier this year reached a $4.2bn loan deal with the International Monetary Fund that hinges on belt-tightening reforms.

As well as ending fuel subsidies, the government is trimming the state workforce and planning some privatizations. Moreno says the fuel subsidies, in place for four decades, had distorted the economy and cost $60bn.

[Rosemarie]

https://www.reuters.com/article/ecuador-protests-oil-idUSL2N26S1MY

No petroleum !

[Caliban]

This is what happens when you turn your economy over to the IMF and the World Bank.

[Bill Ryan]

https://www.reuters.com/article/ecuador-protests-oil-idUSL2N26S1MY

No petroleum !

In the middle of the night, very early Friday morning, when totally logjammed at a huge roadblock, a convoy of 50 22-wheeler Kenworth tractor-trailers each hauling 10,000 gallons of petroleum came steaming through, accompanied by army trucks with guns and riot shields.

That was good to see: I figured at least we'd all get through and get home at last.

But the protesters simply let the oil tankers through. They had no choice! After that, the army continued on with the convoy and the road block quickly reassembled itself. I got home some 12 hours later, the next afternoon, via a remote mountain dirt road I found and successfully navigated.

It's kind of every person for themselves here at the moment. The army and police seem to be doing little or nothing for the regular people. The innocent locals are disgusted, and the country is being cleaved in half: citizens vs citizens. Many are suffering who were never once any part of this problem.

[AutumnW]

Oh no....Bill and Rosemarie. This is just awful. Is there any way you two could team up for security reasons, at least temporarily? I think it might be useful for Avalonians who know and trust one another to assist each other in a scenario like this. I am going to say a prayer, cross my fingers, meditate etc...for you both tonight. Maybe I should do it right now, huh? Best, best wishes to you both!

[RogeRio]

No petroleum !

Many are suffering who were never once any part of this problem.

I guess it's interesting to look at some consequences caused by Saudi Oil fields attack (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?108630-Saudi-Oil-fields-attack-of-Trump-s-masters-and-the-Israeli-Harpy-Drone)

[Rosemarie]

Thank you AutumnW ! If we lived closer I might invade Bill’s idilic house and views ! But we live 4 hours and a mountain range apart ! And all the indigenous people that are causing all the trouble are in the mayor ( and not so mayor ) roads going to the big cities. I think I am safer than Bill in my building in a suburb of Guayaquil than maybe Bill surrounded by the trouble makers ! I just came back from the supermarket. No vegetables or fruits and no meat. Still a lot of cans !

[AutumnW]

Rosemarie and Bill,

What does this bode for the future? Totally sympathize with indigenous people agitating on their own behalf but.....I don't live there and it's not threatening me so I can afford to be sympathetic. Are you able to take steps to leave the country or find a really safe place within the country if things go haywire again?

[silvanelf]

Quote taken from The Saker:


Then, there is also this shocking declaration, from the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE):

https://jornalggn.com.br/sites/default/files/2019/10/tv-ggn-equador-em-chamas-contra-neoliberalismo-e-moreno-culpa-correa-e-venezuela-conaie1.jpg


From which there follows a translation into English (thanks to Peter Lenny):

*******

CONAIE declares a state of exception in indigenous lands

1) In view of the public authorities’ brutality and their lack of the awareness necessary to understand the popular nature of the demands of the National Stoppage against the Package, which adversely affects Ecuadorean society as a whole and worsens the conditions of life and existence of the country’s most vulnerable popular sectors;

2) In view of the government’s insistence on advancing on our territories to exploit mining, oil and goods of nature, destroying living environments and backing the corporations’ presence with military forces;

3) Exercising our right to self-determination and our authority to administer justice in the jurisdiction of the peoples and nationalities, as recognized in the United Nations Declaration on [the Rights of] Indigenous Peoples, ILO Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, and the Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador;

The CONAIE hereby declares a state of exception in all indigenous territories.

Military and police who approach indigenous territories will be detained and subject to indigenous justice.

http://thesaker.is/sitrep-ecuador-on-the-brink-of-civil-war/

[Bill Ryan]

Quote taken from The Saker:


Then, there is also this shocking declaration, from the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE):Yes, big trouble ahead. The indigenous people, with whom I totally empathize, are intending to march on Quito: 20,000 of them. They're tough and determined, and can be ruthless. They've brought down three governments before, and this one may be the fourth.

So none of this is even close to being over. The country is in chaos. Cuenca, Ecuador's third city, is at a standstill, with all roads in and out blocked in all directions. The police are doing little. I've now seen many police cars drive up to roadblocks and just turn round and head away again.

I tried to get through again this morning to the little local market town where I successfully picked up a huge quantity of fruit and veg on Sunday — but today that was closed off as well. Now I'm sandwiched between road blocks each way.

I'm all fine here. I have enough food and fuel for a while. But the protests are increasing, not dying away, and all this will have a huge economic effect on the country. The 130% overnight diesel price hike will trigger inflation in every sector, and in the meantime schools are closed, and no-one's going to work: most people just can't.

No buses are running. The roads are silent, and as Rosemarie reported, store shelves are emptying. We'll just continue reporting in every day. :)

[ichingcarpenter]

Ecuador’s Great Betrayal


For more than a decade, the Citizen’s Revolution that began under Rafael Correa made tremendous strides in reduction of poverty and inequality, including taking hundreds of thousands of children off the streets and into schools, while also significantly increasing Ecuador’s middle class.

The country also achieved political and social stability after years of turmoil that followed the 1998 banking crisis.

The Citizen’s Revolution was not without its detractors and contradictions however, including rows and protests over reproductive rights, extractive industries, and more recently, corruption scandals involving key government figures.

Nonetheless, in the 2017 elections Ecuador was seen as having bucked the trend of right-wing victories across Latin America. The candidate from Correa’s Alianza PAIS, Lenin Moreno, was elected on a platform of continuity — but signs of a looming divergence began to emerge.

Moreno and Correa are now bitter enemies, with Moreno’s government seeking to jail his former ally as they did with Correa’s last vice president, Jorge Glas. Alianza PAIS has split, and Correa’s allies have not yet been allowed to register a new party.

The Moreno government has also allied with political forces on the right to pass significant austerity and liberalization measures, while shifting the country’s foreign policy to a more US-friendly disposition.

The spectacular shift — which Correa has characterized as a “treason” or a “coup” — has baffled many.

Guillaume Long served as Correa’s last foreign minister. He was also the head of international affairs for Alianza PAIS, and led efforts to create a broad space for Latin American left parties called the Latin American Progressives Summit (ELAP). Long spoke to Jacobin about what is happening in Ecuador and the state of the Left in the region.

PV
The political-economic reforms that were surprisingly ushered in by Lenin Moreno as well as the split that occurred in the ruling Alianza PAIS are examples of the tectonic shifts in the country’s politics. What explains the departure from the election platform and allegiances by Lenin and his supporters, many of whom had supported Correa and the Citizen’s Revolution?

GL
There are a number of internal factors, the first one of course being the choice of Correa’s successor, one might argue by Correa himself, so that’s a significant mistake. I mean it was born out of good intentions, with Correa deciding not to run again.

This was supposed to be a very democratic move. It was likely that Correa would win, whereas Lenin struggled to win, but he won with Correa’s votes. If you do a rigorous analysis of the Moreno vote in 2017, it’s basically the bastions of popular support for Correismo.

But the idea was to have someone who would be more to the center because we’ve had a lot polarizing policies, particularly in 2015 with a new windfall tax on land and inheritance that didn’t exist before. The right wing was highly mobilized and it was thought that someone like Lenin Moreno, a benign character that was all about dialogue, would institutionalize things. Maybe even Correa could come back four years later with a more radical agenda and continue the transformation.

But also I think a number of mistakes were committed by the Correa administrations, particularly in the last years. These empowered Lenin, because there was a notion that Correa was too conflictive. The mistakes were more aesthetic than structural, and they made Lenin not just an heir of Correa, but a viable alternative for other sectors who were unsympathetic to Correa.

When Moreno departed from Correa in the first few months, he was able to capitalize on people who were fed up with Correa’s polarizing style of rule. Particularly in the middle classes, there was a feeling that it was time for a much more ecumenical kind of government, one that would listen, that would be less conflictive. Of course, this was used as a platform for the recuperation of power and to put an end to all sorts of policies including redistributive policies that the elites disagreed with.

Of course there are also exogenous factors. Correa’s last two years of rule were the most difficult. In 2014, the commodities crash affected the economy in a very serious way. This meant that instead of finishing on a high, Correa finished on a low. Now paradoxically, I would argue that his best governance was between 2014 and 2017, where he surfed the commodities decline in a very intelligent way. Ecuador is the only country of its kind that didn’t face a major crisis because of the commodity decline.

There was also an earthquake which participated in a negative growth, so there were all sorts of factors. Ecuador did a lot right: it managed to get out of the recession through anti-austerity investment, beating neoliberalism, demonstrating that austerity doesn’t work when times are good, and it works even less when times are bad.

But people saw that there was a slowing down on the back of the economy, things got tougher, things got difficult. This enabled Lenin to come in with an agenda of change, but change that turned away from reform, away from transformation, away from redistribution, and returned to a sort of conservative style of rule which implies much less polarization with the elites.

In this process, Lenin got the backing of the media. Suddenly there was this massive hegemony rebuilt around his figure which enabled him to consolidate himself politically.

So why did people from Correa’s political project accompany Lenin? Correa’s government was always very heterogeneous, I would say from the Communist Party to the center right, it was broad. There were business sectors, but there were also social movements, trade unions, the Communist Party, the Socialist Party, and Alianza PAIS which is like the mass party, and within PAIS there are a lot of factions.

That meant the Left in its entirety was represented. Correa had certain aspects that were radical, and others that were less radical, including his deeply embedded Catholicism which was problematic for certain sectors in his government. Some of those sectors saw Moreno as somebody who was more secular.

At the time there was a possibility that Moreno would open up on a few of those fronts, certain gender reforms, sexual and reproductive rights. Now we know that hasn’t happened. We could go back into some of these accusations against Correa, because I would say with the great exception of abortion, on the other fronts, Ecuador made huge leaps forward on gender and LGBT issues.

But it was a perception of certain sectors of the left that Moreno would be more progressive on those issues. That maybe we would lose some radicalism on the economic front, but you would gain some on identity politics.

It hasn’t happened, but this is the reason why they joined.

PV
It seems paradoxical that on the one hand, the current situation is a result of the weaknesses of Correa and his government; but on the other, he would have likely won the election. Given that, how would you describe the state of the Left and the Citizen’s Revolution in Ecuador today?

GL
I wish politics was less contradictory because both hold true. I think Correa would have won, but I also think that it was very easy to set up an anti-Correa platform. You got two broad sections of society — one that would have voted for Correa and one that wouldn’t have voted for Correa. I think Moreno managed to get elected with one half, but rule with the other.

I would say that the Left within the government is now almost nonexistent. Those sectors that we were describing that joined Moreno’s government, little by little soon realized that Moreno had a fundamentally neoliberal agenda. We’re seeing now all these laws coming into force that are basically bringing a new kind of structural adjustment with moves away from the model of development that Correa and his government implemented.

All the key ministries are now in the hands of not just the Right, but hardliners including the key advisers of Moreno’s opponent in the 2017 election. The new minister of finance was the financial adviser to Moreno’s opponent.

So the Left that’s in government in Ecuador is in marginal places. We just had another resignation last week. It’s got its hands tied. There were some doubts during the first few months, including internationally as to whether Moreno could still be considered left. But I think consensus everywhere now, including outside of Ecuador, is that Moreno has not got a left-wing government in place and that in every possible way, economically, geopolitically, it terms of his foreign policy, it’s a conservative turn.

So where is the Left at? In opposition. There are few small parties that are accompanying Moreno, but all the others are now in opposition.

What is amazing is Alianza PAIS itself. It was founded by Correa then expropriated by Moreno and all of the key founding people were thrown out. Now, it’s an empty shell. PAIS was for years the biggest party in Ecuador, and yet it basically has crumbled because the party is divided both in its parliamentary expression, between those who remain loyal to Correa and those who sold out to Moreno, but also in its grassroots expression. In the grassroots, where there are less interests, less salaries involved, less power and less money to be thrown around, obviously a huge majority of PAIS supporters have remained loyal to Correa.

This means that they are now partyless because Moreno’s government and all the institutions that he controls have prevented Correa from creating a new party.

Moreno got control over the PAIS but the party is now insignificant. It’s lost its majority in Congress, not through votes, but through all these lawmakers leaving the party. And so Moreno has lost his majority and by losing his majority has also had to cuddle up to the Right because the only way he’s been able to govern is with this hotchpotch alliance that’s pressuring him to do neoliberal structural adjustment.

So the Left is in opposition, obviously divided in a myriad of different expressions, but it is increasingly united against the neoliberal turn.

There are diehard Correistas, there are Correistas that are critical. Some people that were very favorable to his socio-economic policies and his foreign policy, the kind of birth a sovereign nation state, were critical of other things, for example the issue of abortion. There’s all sorts of different types of Correismo, and there is also the Left that’s not Correista. It’s more marginal, it’s smaller, but it exists and we are now seeing people who are on the left-wing opposition to Correa, including people who were aggressively anti-Correa who are now aggressively anti-Moreno. So we are seeing the Left reconfiguring itself.

PV
You mention an anti-Correa left that is shifting against Moreno. Who are you referring to?

GL
The anti-Correa left was always small and elite. The only non-elite aspect was the fast-declining indigenous movement CONAIE which, since unfortunately co-governing with Lucio Gutierrez between 2003-5, has been going downhill. There is still some indigenous remnants there, but it’s never really been important electorally................. more

https://jacobinmag.com/2018/08/ecuador-correa-moreno-alianza-pais


It doesn't cover the betrayal of Julian Assange

[Hervé]

Too hungry for power, too inept to rule: Moreno & his neoliberalism are behind Ecuador’s turmoil, ex-president Correa tells RT (https://www.rt.com/news/470476-correa-interview-reasons-protests-ecuador/)

RT
8 Oct, 2019 20:34 /
Updated 2 hours ago
Get short URL (https://on.rt.com/a30s)


https://cdni.rt.com/files/2019.10/article/5d9ced71203027694e4f38b3.JPG
Demonstrators clash with police officers during a protest against austerity measures in Quito, Ecuador on October 8, 2019. © Reuters / Carlos Garcia Rawlins


Ecuadorian authorities are trying hard to shift the blame for ongoing protests on foreign influence, yet they are the ones who have mishandled the economy, and now refuse to give up power, ex-president Rafael Correa told RT.

The anti-government protests were triggered by austerity cuts linked to a loan deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), approved back in March. The spending cuts, unveiled by President Lenin Moreno last week include elimination of state fuel subsidies – which has already resulted in fuel prices more than doubling. In an attempt to quell the unrest, Moreno issued a 60-day national emergency decree late last week, yet the crisis continued and the government was ultimately forced to move out of the capital city of Quito to the southern coastal city of Guayaquil on Monday.

The country's government has blamed the unrest on foreign meddling. The president branded the protest a “coup attempt” backed by Venezuela's leader Nicolas Maduro and exiled former president of Ecuador – one-time ally and now an arch-enemy of Moreno – Rafael Correa.

Foreign meddling or inept policy making to blame?
Correa himself, however, denies any involvement, insisting that only the government and its inept policies are to blame for the turmoil in the country. Speaking exclusively to RT Spanish, the former president said that the protest is a result of Moreno's abrupt shift to neoliberal policies and his turning to the IMF for “help.”


https://cdni.rt.com/files/2019.10/original/5d9cecc085f5401d1858bd7a.JPG
A police vehicle burns during a protest against austerity measures in Quito, Ecuador on October 7, 2019. © Reuters / Carlos Garcia Rawlins


“[Moreno] thought he could create something new and better, but he only managed to destroy. We've left Ecuador's economy growing and the growth continued up to 2017-18. But this year, stagnation awaits us,” Correa said.
The very decision to strike a loan deal with the IMF was based on lies, Correa argued, as the country's government tricked the public, painting the economic situation worse than it was in reality.

“They've been juggling the facts and deceived the people, stating that Ecuador's debt reached 60 billions of dollars – 60 percent of the GDP,” he said, arguing that the debt has not reached this mark even now. The debt was actually around 40 percent of GDP back in 2017, when Correa left his post and rapidly grew to 55 percent under Moreno's rule.

The government's austerity measures – required by the IMF – are not actually invoked by any real factors, except for bad decision making by the government, Correa added.
There was no abrupt fall of oil prices… There was no earthquake. That's simply inept economy keeping.

https://cdni.rt.com/files/2019.10/original/5d9ceb5685f5401d1617f645.JPG
Demonstrators clash with police officers during a protest against austerity measures in Quito, Ecuador on October 8, 2019. © Reuters / Ivan Alvarado


Moreno too power-hungry to fix the situation
In fact, Ecuador has a mechanism in place to fix the situation, Correa said. There's a set of constitutional provisions, known as the “cross death” – it allows the country's National Assembly to dismiss the president in case of social unrest, while he can disband parliament at the same time, triggering a snap election. The said mechanism was established after a decade of political instability between 1996-2006, when the country went through a whole series of presidents.

The current government, however, has seemingly opted for quelling unrest by force instead of invoking these provisions, fearful of losing their grip on power.
“Why is no one talking about that? Because [Moreno] knows he will never win fair elections. Democracy is of no interest to him,” Correa said. “He takes no interest in the country, he's thinking only about the power and his own interests.”
In front of the whole world, the whole Latin America [Moreno government] is painting us as putschists in his informational campaign, blames us for trying to destabilize the government. But in reality, they are the true putschists – it's them who violated the Constitution when it benefited them, it's them who destabilized the situation in the country, they deprived the people of democracy and stomped on the constitutional order.
Moreno enjoys a cozy relationship with the country’s media, Correa added, accusing the press of being complicit in the deteriorating situation through silencing the anti-government protesters and “distorting facts.” The ex-president said the people have seen through these lies and are angry with the media and its selective coverage.

Indeed, the protesters have been spotted carrying banners targeting not only the government, but the media as well.


https://cdni.rt.com/files/2019.10/article/5d9cd22885f5401d171d35c3.JPG
Demonstrators hold a banner that reads: "Lenin out, traitor, corrupt press" during an anti-austerity protest in Quito, Ecuador on October 8, 2019. © Reuters / Carlos Garcia Rawlins

Related:


Ecuador cracks down on protesters over austerity & IMF loan, President moves govt from capital (PHOTOS, VIDEOS) (https://www.rt.com/news/470411-ecuador-protest-austerity-moreno/)



Ecuador protesters storm parliament building amid chaotic street demonstrations (PHOTOS, VIDEOS) (https://www.rt.com/news/470479-ecuador-protesters-storm-parliament/)

[Bill Ryan]

Photos of protests, just a few hours ago, from https://ww2.elmercurio.com.ec/2019/10/09/las-protestas (https://ww2.elmercurio.com.ec/2019/10/09/las-protestas-empezaron-temprano-en-cuenca.)

The brief article concludes:
Services have been gradually paralyzed. The shortage of gas canisters (for cooking and heating) continues and there are no buses or taxis.
Bill's note: Re the gas canisters, it's not a 'shortage' — there were none at all. Some have just been airlifted in by military plane. This is the most serious impact to regular people at the moment.

https://ww2.elmercurio.com.ec/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/El-Valle-.jpeg

https://ww2.elmercurio.com.ec/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/heridos-valeeeee.jpeg

https://ww2.elmercurio.com.ec/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/heridos.jpeg

https://ww2.elmercurio.com.ec/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/centro-roto.jpeg

https://ww2.elmercurio.com.ec/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/humo.jpeg

https://ww2.elmercurio.com.ec/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/centroooo.jpeg

https://ww2.elmercurio.com.ec/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/marcha-siete.jpeg

https://ww2.elmercurio.com.ec/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/humo-centro.jpeg

https://ww2.elmercurio.com.ec/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/marcha-dos-1.jpeg

[ramus]

IMF in the middle of this, their usual position.

"The Economic hit man" has been to Ecuador .

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
President orders army onto streets of Ecuadorian capital


By MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN and GONZALO SOLANO2 hours ago

https://www.apnews.com/3163699112084840882bcb603cb7aa2c



Anti-government demonstrators takes cover behind a barricade during clashes with police in Quito, Ecuador, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019. Protests, which began when President Lenin Moreno's decision to cut subsidies led to a sharp increase in fuel prices, have persisted for days. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Ecuador’s army took to the streets after President Lenín Moreno ordered the first 24-hour curfew in decades in response to a day of attacks on government buildings and media offices.

By Saturday night, soldiers had retaken control of the park and streets leading to the National Assembly and the national comptroller’s office, which had been broken into by protesters who lit fires inside the building.

Late Saturday night, Moreno announced some possible concessions in an economic package that was opposed by many Ecuadorians.

For many in Ecuador, which had become one of the safest and most stable countries in the region, the day’s violence was a terrifying shock.

Following hours of chaos, Moreno appeared on national television alongside his vice president and defense minister to announce that he was ordering people indoors and the army onto the streets.

Moreno said the masked protesters had nothing to do with the thousands of indigenous Ecuadorians who have protested for more than a week over a sudden rise in fuel prices as part of an International Monetary Fund-backed austerity package.

In an unexplained episode, opposition legislator Gabriela Rivadeneira, a close ally of Correa, entered the Mexican embassy, which said it had provided her “safety and protection.”

Ecuadorian officials said she had no pending charges or reason to seek political asylum.

Moreno is raising taxes, liberalizing labor laws and cutting public spending in order to win more than $4 billion in emergency financing from the International Monetary Fund.

The standoff halted Ecuador’s oil production, blocked highways and caused hundreds of millions of dollars in loss to industries such as flower-growing to dairy farming

[ramus]

Here is another article:

Ecuador president orders curfew, military control in Quito
[AFP]
AFP•October 12, 2019

https://news.yahoo.com/indigenous-protesters-ecuador-agree-talks-182233310.html

Demonstrators break into the General Comptrollers Office building during protests over a fuel price hike ordered by the government to secure an IMF loan (AFP Photo/Martin BERNETTI )

Quito (AFP) - Ecuador President Lenin Moreno on Saturday ordered the capital Quito and surrounding areas to be placed under curfew and military control, on the 11th day of deadly protests against government austerity measures.

The order "will take effect" Saturday from 3 pm (2000 GMT) and "facilitate the work of public forces against intolerable outbreaks of violence," he announced on Twitter.

This was in addition to the state of emergency Moreno had declared on October 3, deploying some 75,000 military and police, in addition to imposing an additional curfew in the vicinity of government buildings.

This was in addition to the state of emergency Moreno had declared on October 3, deploying some 75,000 military and police, in addition to imposing an additional curfew in the vicinity of government buildings.

More than a week of demonstrations in the capital Quito have left five people dead and nearly 2,000 injured or detained.

The protests were triggered when fuel subsidies were eliminated as part of a deal with the IMF for a $4.2 billion loan. Instantly, fuel prices more than doubled.

[Bill Ryan]

A personal update here, a brief one.

I'm still under siege, and can't move (drive) in any direction. This is the main problem:


https://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=es&sp=nmt4&u=https://ww2.elmercurio.com.ec/2019/10/12/pedimos-justicia-y-no-somos-ladrones


http://projectavalon.net/Ecuador_roadblock_at_Tarqui.jpg

That road block (and quite a few others like it) are what stops all traffic. A friend on a mountain bike told me that even with that, he had trouble getting through, even on the dirt roads. He's no shrinking violet, but could sense potential violence.

I have enough food to last for 3 weeks (maybe more), and enough gas canisters for cooking and hot water for 3 months. Mara the :dog: might run out of food before I do! (And that'd be a little hard to explain to her.) But we'll cross that bridge if and when we come to it. She'll have nothing to eat if I can't make it to the market within a week, unless I start sharing my cans of tuna with her. :)

I'm not worried, or in any form of discomfort: it's a little like being on a mountain in a storm, but with good equipment. So it's all under control. But how long this will last for, I have no idea, and I don't think anyone does.

[Rosemarie]

The situation in the mountain areas are worst than in the coast cities like Guayaquil. In the suburb where I live life has returned to normal. Supermarkets are filled with food. There is a chain of supermarkets calle Supermaxi that have their distribution center in the outskirts of Quito.... and since friday they have been able to send trucks full of food from there and you know that is where the worst of this situation is taking place. I think there has been an understanding between governments and protestors to let the trucks safe passage thru the highway.

Quito is around 5 hours away from Guayaquil by the Panamerican Highway.
No shortage of gas either. But everytime my tank is 1/4 empty I fill it up !! Also have food for a month or more. My refrigerador or pantry has never been so full.

Hope there is an understanding between the government and the CONAIE. The country, specially Quito have been vandalized. I fear for Cuenca also. Haven’t seen photos or news from anybody living in the city. I have a trip planned to go and visit my daughter and I do not feel like going. Feel like I should stay and be solidary ( correct word ? ) with my country. I hate seeing what is happening, brother against brother fighting. I also hate to see my country in the news for the wrong reasons.

[Hervé]

Ex-Central Bank official: US guided IMF austerity package shares guilt for chaos in Ecuador (https://www.rt.com/business/470851-boom-bust-imf-ecuador/)

RT (https://www.rt.com/business/470851-boom-bust-imf-ecuador/)
Sun, 13 Oct 2019 15:08 UTC


https://www.sott.net/image/s27/541410/large/5A_demonstrator_throws_a_tear_.jpg (https://www.sott.net/image/s27/541410/full/5A_demonstrator_throws_a_tear_.jpg)
A demonstrator throws a tear gas canister during a protest against Ecuador's President Lenin Moreno's austerity measures in Quito, Ecuador. October 12, 2019. © Reuters/Ivan Alvarado


The protests that have engulfed Ecuador and nearly brought the country's oil industry to a halt are triggered by economic policies imposed by the IMF, guided by none other than US foreign interests, an expert told Boom Bust.

"The IMF is heavily guided by the hand of [US] Department of State and Department of the Treasury. Basically, what the IMF does in Western hemisphere is US foreign policy," Andres Arauz, former official of the Ecuadorian Central Bank, has told RT's Boom Bust. The economist stated that while the IMF program endorsed by his country some time ago already significantly damaged Ecuadorian economy, the latest hikes in gas prices became the final drop and forced the people to mobilize.
"The [IMF] austerity package is about 6 points of [Ecuador's] GDP. The package has implied weakening of the Ecuadorian economy and led to people suffering, [...] but with the most recent decision to hike the prices of diesel and gasoline by over 120 per cent people said this is enough and mobilized." Asked to shed light on how an initially leftist leader - Ecuador's president Lenin Moreno - ended up securing an IMF loan agreement in the first place, Arauz said he is simply a wrong kind of leftist.

"Moreno is a 'charity' kind of leftist, one that supports giving charity to disabled or the poor, but not the 'transformative' kind of leftist that wants to overhaul the national economy, or the power structure and society," the economist stated. He added, that now Moreno is seen as "a person that likes to seek approval from the [...] hegemonic powers around the globe" [instead of defending his country's interests.]

Related:

Ecuador: Protesters mobilize in mass over austerity & IMF loan, gov't cracks down and President moves personnel from capital (https://www.sott.net/article/421636-Ecuador-Protesters-mobilize-in-mass-over-austerity-IMF-loan-govt-cracks-down-and-President-moves-personnel-from-capital)



Assange was sold for $4.2 BILLION - Former Ecuadorian President confirms IMF loan in exchange for Assange (https://www.sott.net/article/411058-Assange-was-sold-for-4-2-BILLION-Former-Ecuadorian-President-confirms-IMF-loan-in-exchange-for-Assange)

[RunningDeer]

I have a trip planned to go and visit my daughter and I do not feel like going. Feel like I should stay and be solidary ( correct word ? ) with my country.
Mother-Bear to Mother-Bear: http://avalonlibrary.net/paula/smilies/come-in-hug.gif

There are plenty of people to stand in solidarity for the country but only one Mom for her Daughter.

Mom = Big Medicine ♡
http://avalonlibrary.net/paula/smilies/Calz-think2.gif

[James Newell]

Observe, orient, decide and ACT! That is basically the mini version hat when the shthefan.
It is best to know your area far before such a thing occurs. Have some maps and Know some neighbors and have a zone of people you can trust.

Take to the hills if you know them and know when to go when you have to. If you have a short wave radio, well done, and you now will have some comm when every one else doesn't.

Probably a survival attitude without being in delusion as to the current scene is the most important. Btw this can happen anywhere and very fast. I got used to martial law in one day.

[ramus]

Maybe all these other protest, have caught an eye.
====================================================

Ecuador reaches deal to cancel austerity measures, end mass protests

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/ecuador-reaches-deal-to-cancel-austerity-measures-end-mass-protests-2019-10-13?mod=mw_latestnews



By
Associated
Press

QUITO, Ecuador — President Lenín Moreno and leaders of Ecuador’s indigenous peoples struck a deal late Sunday to cancel a disputed austerity package and end nearly two weeks of protests that have paralyzed the economy and left seven dead.

Under the agreement announced just before 10 p.m., Moreno will withdraw the International Monetary Fund-backed package known as Decree 883 that included a sharp rise in fuels. Indigenous leaders, in turn, will call on their followers to end protests and street blockades.

The two sides will work together to develop a new package of measures to cut government spending, increase revenues and reduce Ecuador’s unsustainable budget deficits and public debt.

“The moment of peace, of agreement, has come for Ecuador,” said Arnaud Peral, the United Nations’ resident coordinator in Ecuador and one of the mediators of the nationally televised talks, which started about 6 p.m. “This deal is an extraordinary step.”

Michael Limaico, an unemployed sign-maker, stood on a corner in the Carcelen neighborhood Saturday near a line of burned tires that blocked one of the Quito’s main thoroughfares. Limaico said that he and his wife had struggled for years to feed and house their three children, ages 9 to 15, with their earnings of about $600 a month from odd jobs around northern Quito.

Then, prices of food and other basic goods rose sharply after Moreno removed fuel subsidies Oct. 2. Limaico said it had become impossible to make ends meet, and he had been protesting for days with neighbors who have blocked Diego de Vazquez Avenue as it passes through Carcelen.

“This isn’t a protest of thieves, of gangsters,” he said. “This is the people, and we’re fed up

[ramus]

Hey Bill it's good news now .... go get that dog some more food . I guess this is not over, just a lull before the next I.M.F. bad call. Take advantage of this to restock if you can.

Hope the stores are not all empty .

Thinking of you!

Sending some money hope you can retrieve it.

[Bill Ryan]

@ramus, thanks for the updates (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?108762-Turmoil-in-Ecuador&p=1318658&viewfull=1#post1318658)! Yes, up early here, and reading the news. It all seems positive. :thumbsup: (But yes, anything could still happen, so I need to stay alert.)

Smart of the government to back down. It was really dumb what they did in the first place, imagining that they could somehow impose this massive price hike on poor people and there'd be no backlash.

That just shows how much out of touch they were. A good lesson for governments everywhere, if they're watching. People power really can bring a country to its knees quite quickly. And social media helps even simple, indigenous people be well-organized.

I have a problem that I'd not shared, that my very old 4x4 (a 1986 Isuzu Trooper that's done 235,000 miles) cracked a fuel line under the chassis when I crashed through one of the road blocks last week. I only noticed it the other day, and my full tank has been very slowly emptying itself with a little drip. I've not been able to repair it myself, and I calculated it'd be empty in maybe 10 days. (But I do have 2-3 gallons in reserve in cans.)

So now I can


Get that repaired.
Get some more food for Mara the :dog:. :)

Jim Newell suggested (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?108762-Turmoil-in-Ecuador&p=1318649&viewfull=1#post1318649) a short wave radio. I do have one! But I've never taught myself how to use it, though I have a comprehensive manual and it should all work perfectly. I've not got a license, though in an infrastructure collapse I doubt that would matter.

And he also noted that "this can happen anywhere and very fast." That's really true. Here, it all turned very sour literally overnight.

Do take note, wherever you live.... make sure you have what you need. Much of that costs very little, sometimes even pennies. There's a new thread about it here.


Doing well in an infrastructure collapse (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?108839-Doing-well-in-an-infrastructure-collapse)

:flower:

[Ron Mauer Sr]

Bill you can construct a simple antenna for a specific frequency band ahead of the time when you may need it.

A small solar system with deep cycle batteries may also be required if the electric grid goes down.
Listening to traffic on the airways can teach you how to use the amateur radio bands.
Having a local friend who is a Ham would be of much benefit.
What radio do you have?

[RogeRio]

Hey Bill, I (we) wish the situation to normalize with the circulation of people and the supply.

The obvious consequence of this arrangement is that Moreno will remain in power. In such crisis, the priority has been to maintain governability, and at least that, he has achieved today. Let's look at the developments

Another consequence is that by closing a direct agreement with the Indians, Moreno eventually strengthened them. While Rafael Correa, who is fugitive in Belgium failed to return to the political game, the Indians eventually took place what belonged to Correa and the bolivarians.

The problem now is that the natives do not have representative frames, since it's an essentially communal group, and this makes room for new leaders who have nothing to do with the natives, in the future embrace "politically" their cause.

we'll see ..

[Bill Ryan]

Bill you can construct a simple antenna for a specific frequency band ahead of the time when you may need it.

A small solar system with deep cycle batteries may also be required if the electric grid goes down.
Listening to traffic on the airways can teach you how to use the amateur radio bands.
Having a local friend who is a Ham would be of much benefit.
What radio do you have?

A Yaesu 857D (https://www.yaesu.com/indexVS.cfm?cmd=DisplayProducts&encProdID=8CBB7C4BDBAF40129AD4253A4987523C).

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamhf/0857.jpg

It's a compact mobile unit, designed to be mounted in a car or truck. I have the vehicle antenna, and all the kit.

I have a power supply for use as a base station, and also a good long base antenna. But I've simply never cranked it up to start working it.

We could continue this very useful discussion on the Amateur Radio (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/forumdisplay.php?106-Amateur-Radio) section (in Living Off The Grid (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/forumdisplay.php?69-Living-Off-The-Grid)). :thumbsup:

:focus:

[Bill Ryan]

Local update. The roadblocks were all lifted overnight after the government backed down last night. I not only had my leaking fuel line to deal with, but also a couple of bills to pay at the bank in town that were way overdue (including my power bill, OMG). So I set off as soon as I could.

There were huge felled trees over the road literally every half mile, but no-one was there, and the traffic was able to pick its way through. The first thing I did was get my cracked fuel line welded, and then I went to hunt for more supplies. The supermarket shelves were half empty, but I was able to shop around and pick up what I needed. Not much... just extra backup resources (and dog food!) in case it all flares up again.

Which it might. The indigenous people still have all their long-lasting grievances, and none of those are being addressed as best I know. (But, we'll see.) The indigenous here have already brought down 3 governments, and this one will be a fourth in their sights. They're tough and determined, and ruthless if need be. The government does know that.

The astonishing thing was how well, and rapidly, this was organized. All through social media, of course, but every poor person in Ecuador (and there are many) was doing their part to bring the country to a sudden, grinding halt.

That happened within 24 hours, and then it just got worse when the students joined in, and the indigenous people marched on Quito. The solidarity and widespread support — and fast, effective action — were all impressive.

It was very tough on the other local people: no-one could get to work, or move things, or sell things: it wasn't just the corporations that suffered. But the government was brought to heel by the people. That's what's supposed to happen... we should never forget.

The last time I witnessed this was in Britain in 2000, with the blockade of the oil refineries. Some reading this may remember. Blockading supply chains really works these days... they're just so very fragile.

Do remember! This can happen anywhere, at any time, for any reason. None of us live anywhere which is exempt or immune.

[mountain_jim]

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/ecuador-and-imfs-killing-spree



Ecuador... And The IMF's Killing Spree

For close to 40 years the IMF has weaponized its handle on the western economy through the dollar-based western monetary system, and brutally destroyed nation after nation, thereby killed hundreds of thousands of people. Indirectly, of course, as the IMF would not use traditional guns and bombs, but financial instruments that kill – they kill by famine, by economic strangulation, preventing indispensable medical equipment and medication entering a country, even preventing food from being imported, or being imported at horrendous prices only the rich can pay.

< more at link >

[Sunny-side-up]

Glad things have eased off for you and the locals Bill. phew.

Never heard of this before though:

The first thing I did was get my cracked fuel line welded
Sounds a bit dangerous to me, 'weld a fuel line' 0.o
I'm guessing you mean a replacement pipe was fitted. :)

[Hervé]

Don’t fall for beleaguered government’s line: Crisis in Ecuador is just getting started (https://www.rt.com/op-ed/470988-lenin-moreno-imf-ecuador/)

RT
15 Oct, 2019 15:46 /
Updated 3 hours ago
Get short URL (https://on.rt.com/a3f0)


https://cdni.rt.com/files/2019.10/xxs/5da5d8502030270b5a25eecd.JPG
Quito, Ecuador, October 13, 2019 © Reuters / Henry Romero


Appearances can be deceiving. Nowhere does this old adage ring truer than in Ecuador, which is emerging from the rubble created during an 11-day uprising.

The protests that rocked the South American country appear to be over. President Lenin Moreno announced Sunday night that he would repeal an austerity measure that caused tens of thousands of people to take to the streets. Over 1,300 people were injured, over 1,100 people were arrested, and at least seven demonstrators were killed (https://actualidad.rt.com/actualidad/330250-escenario-ecuador-acuerdo-indigenas-gobierno) in the protests, which demanded that Decree 883, which cut fuel subsidies in the country, be lifted.

But the truth is that the political crisis that has gripped Ecuador over the past two weeks is far from over: the IMF agreement that spawned Decree 883 is still firmly in place, and Ecuador’s workers are in for a long road ahead.

But how did we get here? How did Ecuador go from one of being a global leader in poverty (http://cepr.net/press-center/press-releases/ecuador-after-ten-years-of-president-correa-new-paper-examines-key-indicators-reforms-and-policy-changes) reduction to another third world IMF basket case in just two years? The story is a long one, but it goes something like this:
After a period of 10 years in which they had seven presidents, Ecuador finally achieved political stability in 2007 under the leadership of President Rafael Correa, a fierce critic of the IMF and the US government. A charismatic leader and a doctor in economics, Correa was able to unite social movements in a racially and ethnically diverse –and divided– country through what he and his followers called “The Citizen’s Revolution.” With Correa as President, Ecuador experienced strong, sustainable economic growth, while drastically reducing poverty and inequality (http://www.coha.org/ecuadors-accomplishments-under-the-10-years-of-rafael-correas-citizens-revolution/).
The revolution achieved great success, undergoing a transition from a neoliberal political economy dependent on the United States to one that emphasized social investment and regional integration. Ecuador virtually abandoned the IMF, and singled that entity out as a major foe to Ecuador’s development. Ecuador also joined the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) in 2007, alongside the socialist bloc of Latin America – Cuba, Bolivia, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.

Things were going well in Ecuador; one could argue, for the first time since the conquest. So well, in fact, that once Correa’s second term in office was up, his hand-chosen successor, Vice-President Lenin Moreno, easily won the election. Moreno promised to continue the Citizen’s Revolution, just as Correa had.
But then something changed. Moreno flipped.

Soon after Moreno took office in 2017, he joined the country’s elites in a witch hunt against supposed corruption within the Correa government. He began cozying up to Washington and pulling away from ALBA. Moreno then signed the deal with the IMF.

Decree 883, which kickstarted this month’s uprising, was part of a $4.2 billion (https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/CR/Issues/2019/07/03/Ecuador-First-Review-under-the-Extended-Fund-Facility-Arrangement-Requests-for-Waiver-of-47087) loan agreement made between Moreno’s government and the IMF. Like all IMF loan contracts in the region, this deal stipulated that Ecuador undergo structural adjustments to supposedly make the country more attractive for foreign investors. That means gutting government programs, cutting social spending, freezing wages, cutting the taxes paid by transnational corporations and shifting the tax burden onto workers. Therefore, the cutting of fuel subsidies, which instantly shot the price of gas up 30 (https://actualidad.rt.com/actualidad/330250-escenario-ecuador-acuerdo-indigenas-gobierno) percent at the pump, was just the first domino to fall.

But not all protesters were content with the simple abolishment of Decree 883. In addition to demanding its repeal, many protesters also called for the IMF agreement itself to be cancelled, and some even demanded Moreno’s resignation.

These more drastic calls for change were eventually drowned out once the politically moderate, anti-Correa (https://www.telesurtv.net/news/Correa-considera-entrega-de-la-Conaie-como-desaire-innecesario-20170705-0057.html)indigenous nations’ group, CONAIE, joined the protests. CONAIE impressively mobilized indigenous groups from across the country to take charge of Quito, but the group had the more modest and practical goal of having Decree 883 lifted.

Now, let’s get back to the ‘lifting’ of Decree 883. It appears here that CONAIE, which in the past has been accused (https://www.agua.gob.ec/secretario-del-agua-humberto-cholango-acompana-al-presidente-lenin-moreno-durante-evento-en-latacunga/)of being too cozy with Moreno’s government, settled for a bad deal, as the decree can only be replaced by a similar measure.

“The government will substitute decree 883 for a new one that contains mechanisms to focus resources for those that most need it,” Moreno announced via Twitter. (https://twitter.com/Lenin/status/1183578963714674689) What this ‘new’ decree looks like is anyone’s guess, but it’s likely to look a lot like the ‘old’ one, given that the IMF agreement explicitly calls for the cutting of fuel subsidies.

As a side note, the language Moreno uses in his tweets is eerily identical to the words used in the IMF agreement that his government signed. For example, the IMF states (https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/CR/Issues/2019/07/03/Ecuador-First-Review-under-the-Extended-Fund-Facility-Arrangement-Requests-for-Waiver-of-47087) that Ecuador’s “authorities reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the social safety net to ensure that the most vulnerable households are protected.”

In these examples, both the IMF and Moreno justify the cutting of social spending through the use of clever wordplay. They both state that the poorest of the poor will receive assistance, but this is a tacit admission that the bulk of the poor will not.

This is austerity. And this is what Correa’s followers will continue to reject.

Although CONAIE has been quieted, this may not last. And it’s guaranteed that supporters of the Citizen’s Revolution will not stand pat and watch as everything they’ve worked for gets unravelled by Moreno and the IMF.

The clock is ticking until Moreno’s term is up in 2021, but if he sticks to his IMF guns – as it appears he must – it’s unlikely that he’ll make it that far.

By Enrique Rivera, Ph.D., a historian of Latin America.


Related:


US-oriented IMF & its austerity package guilty of chaos in Ecuador – ex-Central Bank official to RT (https://www.rt.com/business/470851-boom-bust-imf-ecuador/)



Chaos in Ecuador as protesters ransack govt buildings, clash with police as military restricts movement throughout country (https://www.rt.com/news/470809-protesters-riot-quito-moreno-agrees/)



Ecuadorian govt agrees to repeal austerity law that sparked protests as indigenous groups pledge to stop rallies (https://www.rt.com/news/470872-ecuador-protests-groups-deal/)

[Bill Ryan]

the IMF agreement that spawned Decree 883 is still firmly in place, and Ecuador’s workers are in for a long road ahead.

Yep. This is the bit that's easily overlooked. Ecuador's government still has its devil's deal with the IMF. So they now have to do something else.

And they're weaker now (within Ecuador), and the indigenous groups are a lot stronger, having won the streetfight hands down.

It all has the superficiality of normality here once more, but I did have the very strong intuition a couple days ago that this was going to drag on, in one form or another, for a long time.

The indigenous people alone (never mind the unions) can stop the country in its tracks any time they want to. While news about the protest was focused on Quito and Cuenca, with many journalists and photographers watching everything that happened, the indigenous were stopping oil production in the jungle.

Ecuador lost something like $3 bn in 11 days. That's an economic disaster, so there's even more motivation for the government to try to recoup that. HOW they'll do that, I have no idea, but I have the feeling that whatever they do, the people will push back hard.

I now have my cracked fuel pipe welded (they removed the pipe, welded it, and replaced it), and stocked up on a lot more inexpensive but important basic supplies like rice, oil, salt, soap, cans of things, candles, matches, and so on. I was doing well in Round 1, but in future rounds, should the bell ring, I'll be just fine.

What I might get, if I can, is a cheap little generator: just to keep my internet and battery-chargers running, plus a few lights. Chinese generators are very inexpensive here, and it does seem like quite a smart idea.

The protestors never thought to bring down the power lines, but it'd be really easy for them to do that (with felled tall trees) if they decided to. This thread might not be closed yet. :)

[Bill Ryan]

A good summary article about how Ecuador's President Moreno shot himself in the foot. Quite a lot of this I said myself right at the start, though I'm entirely untrained in economics and knew little about Ecuadorian politics. Not tooting my horn! (At all.) Just pointing out that it was simply that obvious. :)


https://bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-10-14/ecuador-s-president-moreno-loses-big-on-fuel-subsidy-cuts

Austerity Bites for Ecuador’s President

Ill-timed cuts to fuel subsidies amounted to a self-inflicted wound.
14 October, 2019

https://assets.bwbx.io/images/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/ivaPjrJ3SVOQ/v1/800x-1.jpgIndigenous Ecuadorians celebrate their victory over Moreno in Quito

Ecuador’s President Lenin Moreno knows something about indigenous politics. Before rising to the top office in 2017, he served two terms as vice president to Rafael Correa, the disruptive caudillo who tapped the frustrations of excluded indigenous communities to fuel his “Citizens Revolution” before they turned on him (https://www.jstor.org/stable/29779306?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents).

Before that, Moreno saw two other presidents fall (https://latinamericareports.com/indigenous-key-role-ecuador-protests/3423/), in 1997 and 2000, after they clashed with the powerful Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador.

Now Moreno is the target of native wrath. How the usually astute leader failed to foresee the conflagration caused by his Oct. 1 announcement of cuts to fuel subsidies and other austerity measures is a mystery. So are his plans to escape it.

After 11 days of marches, vandalism, looting and clashes with security forces, indigenous-led crowds chased Moreno from the capital Quito to the coastal city of Guayaquil and back again.

After appealing for a national dialogue, Moreno on Sunday announced a truce and promised to scrap the offending fuel decree for another negotiated measure. Indigenous leaders in turn agreed to call off their general strike, but tensions still smolder.

Moreno was right to order the dismantling of fuel subsidies. Ecuador’s economy is slowing, unemployment is ticking upward and consumer confidence is low. Bankrolling cheap fuel costs Ecuador $1.4 billion a year, distorts prices across the economy, encourages waste and helps the wrong people.

An Andean-sized sierra of policy papers shows that garnishing taxes to keep fuel cheap may please the people, but doing so disproportionately benefits the wealthier classes. The International Monetary Fund found (https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/politics-of-fossil-fuel-subsidies-and-their-reform/reforming-fossil-fuel-subsidies/9C5F270A4F71793AC74DB968E8749549/core-reader) in a study of several developing countries that just 7% of the benefits from fossil fuel subsidies found their way to the poorest 20%.

Nonetheless energy populism is a classic sleight of hand by crowd-trolling Latin American demagogues and authoritarians: Ecuador’s fuel subsidies date to the days of military rule (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-05/ecuador-s-moreno-wins-major-victory-at-home-over-fuel-subsidies). Although low-income earners may get relatively paltry benefits, they come to see cheap fuel as a modest compensation for their misfortune. That makes removing subsidies politically hazardous.

It’s even worse if the national leaders do so at the behest of foreign bean-counters like the IMF, with whom the Moreno government signed a $4.2 billion Extended Fund Facility Arrangement early this year. The fund, typically, prescribed broad austerity measures, including a tax reform and changes to the rigid labor code, which discourages hiring, plus an overhaul of the money-hemorrhaging pension system.

Correcting those distortions would go a long way to restoring Ecuador’s fiscal health after years of checkbook profligacy. Buoyed by climbing oil prices, Correa lavished money on public works and payroll, driving public debt from around 29% of gross domestic product in 2006 to more than 40% (https://www.ecuadortimes.net/public-debt-increased-by-26978-9-million-during-the-government-of-rafael-correa/) in 2017.

He further undermined government accounts by loading up on foreign debt through oil-backed loans, relying on China as Western lenders wary of Ecuador’s legacy of defaults kept their distance. Moreno inherited those debts (https://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-ecuador-loans-china-20181210-story.html) just as oil prices slumped, then added some of his own.

Yet the sudden end to fuel perks triggered an insurrection. You wouldn’t have guessed that from the wonks in Washington. In its July report, the IMF argued (https://www.finanzas.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2019/07/1ECUEA2019004.pdf) that scrapping subsidies would have “a relatively small impact” on the poor and that the savings (0.5% of gross domestic product this year) would “create additional space for compensation.”

Moreno apparently was counting on just such a trade-off, and offered a $15 monthly family benefit and a government housing plan for the 5 million poorest Ecuadorans.

Monica de Bolle, of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, says that call gets the policy priority exactly backwards. “If you are going to scrap energy subsidies, you create compensations first. Then you transition out of the subsidy,” she told me. “Otherwise you impose an immediate burden on the lowest earners, because fuel prices are inelastic and prices will go up by the amount of the subsidy.” Ecuador’s gasoline prices rose 25% last week while diesel better than doubled.

A recent Inter-American Development Bank study (https://publications.iadb.org/en/can-government-transfers-make-energy-subsidy-reform-socially-acceptable-case-study-ecuador) had flagged the danger, noting that many countries have tried and failed to remove fuel subsidies. The reason: “even if economically inefficient, subsidies are a visible and effective means to transfer some income to poor and vulnerable households.”

And yet the harsh measure announced by decree was vintage Moreno — a mostly mild-mannered politician nonetheless given to centralizing decision making and then springing fait accompli on a wary public. Recall that in April, Moreno abruptly ordered Wikileaks impresario Julian Assange to vacate the London embassy where he’d taken refuge seven years before.

That, too, was the right decision: Assange had become the guest from hell (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-11/-spoiled-brat-assange-hit-our-embassy-guards-ecuador-says). But the move made the Andean nation a target of nasty street protests (https://www.dw.com/en/ecuador-assange-supporters-clash-with-police/a-48366030) and still rankles some citizen groups.

Likewise, the decree ending fuel subsidies came “suddenly, with no public discussion and little apparent preparation,” noted Andres Mejia Acosta, a political scientist and scholar of Latin American politics at Kings College London. “Moreno has a knack for latching onto ideas and then letting off a bombshell.”

Moreno’s tempestuousness doubtless delighted his opponents. No one perhaps more than Correa, whom Moreno accused of ventilating discontent to force him to resign or call early elections. Although Correa is ineligible to run again for president, he cheerfully offered his services (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ecuador-protests-correa/ex-ecuador-president-correa-denies-planning-coup-attempt-from-exile-idUSKBN1WN1IP) for any other posts.

Yet Correa’s clout is limited. He left Ecuador for Belgium under a legal cloud (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/08/rafael-correa-ecuador-ex-president-asylum-belgium) and has since seen former aides and associates (https://www.insightcrime.org/news/analysis/rafael-correa-absence-ecuador-closest-allies/) targeted by police or, like his former vice president, jailed (https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2018-02-05/ecuador-strikes-a-blow-for-common-sense) for corruption. Even if Correa returns to politics, his abrasive legacy alienated allies and left a fractured opposition (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-03/ecuador-s-moreno-faces-ruling-party-split-as-glas-steps-up-spat).

For all his impolitic ways, Moreno is working on fixing problems he didn’t create. His spendthrift predecessor burned through the bounty of the commodities boom and called it a revolution. Moreno got stuck with the check and the riddle of how to break promises no one could keep.

Restoring subsidies Ecuador can’t afford won’t solve the problem. Angry Ecuadorans must decide whether he deserves a chance to finish the job or, like three presidents press-ganged from office in the last three decades, be shown the door.

[TomKat]

Ecuador finally achieved political stability in 2007 under the leadership of President Rafael Correa, a fierce critic of the IMF and the US government. A charismatic leader and a doctor in economics, Correa was able to unite social movements in a racially and ethnically diverse –and divided– country through what he and his followers called [I]“The Citizen’s Revolution.”


I remember back in the early 80s nobody ever said anything bad about the IMF except ... the late Lyndon LaRouche! He told Latin American governments that they were being screwed over by the IMF with austerity measures, and that it was a calculated scheme. Now it is common for people to think so, as did Correa.

Goes to show, the world always needs mutable sun sign people (Gemini, Sagittarius, Pisces, Virgo) to shake the world awake. As Gemini Trump said, he thrives on controversy.

[Hervé]

Ecuador – and the IMF’s Killing Spree

By Peter Koenig (https://www.globalresearch.ca/author/peter-koenig)
Global Research, October 14, 2019


https://www.globalresearch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Lenín-Moreno-400x255.jpg


For close to 40 years the IMF has weaponized its handle on the western economy through the dollar-based western monetary system, and brutally destroyed nation after nation, thereby killed hundreds of thousands of people. Indirectly, of course, as the IMF would not use traditional guns and bombs, but financial instruments that kill – they kill by famine, by economic strangulation, preventing indispensable medical equipment and medication entering a country, even preventing food from being imported, or being imported at horrendous prices only the rich can pay.
The latest victim of this horrifying IMF scheme is Ecuador. For starters, you should know that since January 2000, Ecuador’s economy is 100% dollarized, compliments of the IMF (entirely controlled by the US Treasury, by force of an absolute veto). The other two fully dollarized Latin American countries are El Salvador and Panama.

The Wall Street Journal recently stated that Ecuador “has the misfortune to be an oil producer with a ‘dollarized’ economy that uses the U.S. currency as legal tender.”

The Journal added,
“the appreciation of the U.S. dollar against other currencies has decreased the net exports of non-oil commodities from Ecuador, which, coupled with the volatility of oil prices, is constraining the country’s potential for economic growth.”
Starting in the mid 1990’s, culminating around 1998, Ecuador suffered a severe economic crisis, resulting from climatic calamities, and US corporate and banking oil price manipulations (petrol is Ecuador’s main export product), resulting in massive bank failures and hyper-inflation. Ecuador’s economy at that time had been semi-dollarized, like that of most Latin American countries, i.e. Peru, Colombia, Chile, Brazil – and so on.

The ‘crisis’ was a great opportunity for the US via the IMF to take full control of the Ecuadorian (petrol) economy, by a 100% dollarizing it. The IMF propagated the same recipe for Ecuador as it did ten years earlier for Argentina, namely full dollarization of the economy in order to combat inflation and to bring about economic stability and growth. In January 2000, then President Jorge Jamil Mahuad Witt, from the “Popular Democracy Party”, or the Ecuadorian Christian Democratic Union (equivalent to the German CDU), declared the US dollar as the official currency of Ecuador, replacing their own currency, the Sucre.

Adopting another country’s currency is an absurdity and can only bring failure. And that it did, almost to the day, 10 years after Argentina was forced by the same US-led villains to revalue her peso to parity with the US-dollar, no fluctuations allowed. Same reason (“economic crisis”, hyper-inflation), same purpose: controlling the riches of the country – absolute failure was preprogrammed. Did Ecuador not learn from the Argentinian experience and converted her currency at the very moment the Argentinian economy collapsed due to dollarization, into the US dollar? – That is not only a fraud, but a planned fraud.

Ecuadorian goods and services quoted in dollars, became unaffordable for locals and uncompetitive for exports. This led to social unrests, resulting in a popular ‘golpe’. President Mahuad was disposed, had to flee the country, and was replaced by Gustavo Noboa, from the same CDU party (2000 – 2003). Ever since the dollar remained controversial among the Ecuadorian population. President Rafael Correa’s quiet attempt to return to the Sucre, was answered by a CIA-inspired police coup attempt on 30 September 2010.

In 2017, the CIA / NED (National Endowment for Democracy) and the US State Department have brought about a so-called “soft” regime change. They urged (very likely coerced) Rafael Correa to abstain from running again for President, as the vast majority of Ecuadorians requested him to do. This would have required a Constitutional amendment which probably would have been easily accepted by Parliament. Instead they had Correa endorse his former Vice-President (2007-2013) Lenin Moreno, who run on Correa’s platform, the socialist PAIS Alliance. Therefore, expected to continue in Correa’s line with same socioeconomic policies.

Less than a year later, Moreno turned tables, became an outright traitor to his country and the people who voted for him. He converted Ecuador’s economy to the neoliberal doctrine – privatization of everything, stealing the money from the social sectors, depriving people of work, drastically reducing social services and converting a surplus economy of tremendous social gains into one of poverty and misery.


https://www.globalresearch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Rafael-Correa-300x199.jpeg (https://www.globalresearch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Rafael-Correa.jpeg)


President Correa left the country a modest debt of about 40% to GDP at the end of his Presidency in 2017. A debt-GDP ratio that would be no problem anywhere in the world. Compare this to the US debt vs. GDP – 105% in current terms and about 700% in terms of unmet obligations (net present value of total outstanding obligations). There was absolutely no reason to call the IMF for help. The IMF, the long arm of the US Treasury – ‘bought’ its way into Moreno’s neoliberal Ecuador, coinciding with Moreno evicting Julian Assange from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.

The IMF loan of US$ 4,2 billion increases the debt / GDP ratio by 4% and brings social misery and upheaval in return, and that as usual, at an unimaginable cost, by neoliberal economists called “externalities”. It was practically a US “present” for Moreno’s treason, bringing Assange closer into US custody. What most people are unaware of, is that at the same time, Moreno forgave US$ 4.5 billion in fines, interest and other dues to large corporations and oligarchs, hence decapitalizing the country’s treasury. The amount of canceled corporate fiscal obligations is about equivalent to the IMF loan, plunging large sectors of the Ecuadorian population into more misery.

Besides, under wrong pretexts it allowed Moreno to apply neoliberal policies, all those that usually come as draconian conditions with IMF loans and that eventually benefit only a small elite in the country – but allows western banking and corporations to further milk the countries social system.

According to a 2017 report of the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), an economic thinktank in Washington, Ecuador’s economy has done rather well under Rafael Correa’s 10-year leadership (2007 – 2017). The country has improved her key indicators significantly: Average annual GDP growth was 1.5% (0.6% past 26 years average); the poverty rate declined by 38%, extreme poverty by 47%, a multiple of poverty reduction of that in the previous ten years, thanks to a horizontally distributive growth; inequality (Gini coefficient) fell substantially, from 0.55 to 0.47; the government doubled social spending from 4.3% in 2006 to 8.6% in 2016; tripled education spending from 0.7% to 2.1% with a corresponding increase in school enrollments; increased public investments from 4% of GDP in 2006 to 10% in 2016.

Now, Moreno is in the process of reversing these gains. Only six months after contracting the IMF loans, he has already largely succeeded. The public outcry can be heard internationally. Quito is besieged by tens of thousands of demonstrators, steadily increasing as large numbers, in the tens of thousands, of indigenous people are coming from Ecuador’s Amazon region and the Andes to Quito to voice their discontent with their traitor president. Government tyranny is rampant. Moreno declared a 60-day state of emergency – with curfew and a militarized country. As a consequence, Moreno moved the Government Administration to Guayaquil and ordered one of the most severe police and military repressions, Ecuador has ever known, resulting within ten days to at least 7 people killed, about 600 injured and about 1,000 people arrested.


https://i1.wp.com/lavozlit.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Ecuador-Down-Lenin-Moreno.jpg?resize=696%2C395&ssl=1


Source: Workers’ Voice (https://lavozlit.com/ecuador-down-with-lenin-moreno-and-the-imf-down-with-decree-883-and-the-austerity-package/)

The protests are directed against the infamous Government Decree 883, that dictates major social reforms, including an increase in fuel prices by more than 100%, reflecting directly on public transportation, as well as on food prices; privatization of public services, bringing about untold layoffs, including some 23,000 government employees; an increase in Aggregated Value Taxes – all part of the so-called “paquetazo”, imposed by the IMF. Protesters called on Moreno, “Fuera asesino, fuera” – Get out, murderer, get out! – Will they succeed?

The IMF’s guns are needlessly imposed debt, forced privatization of social services and public assets as railways, roads, and worst of all, health, education, water supply and sewerage services. Unemployment rises, extreme poverty skyrockets, public service tariffs – water, electricity, transportation – increase, often exponentially, depriving people from moving to work or look for new employment elsewhere. Diseases that otherwise may have been curable, like cancers, under the new regime lack medication. Patients die prematurely. Depression brings about rapidly rising suicide rates, as the British medical journal Lancet has observed in many IMF oppressed countries, but especially in Greece.

Targeted are primarily those nations that do not want to bend to the dictate of Washington, and even more so those with natural resources the west covets, or countries that are in strategic geographic locations, where NATO wants to establish itself or get a stronger foothold, i.e. Greece. The IMF is often helped by the World Bank. The former providing, or rather coercing, a ‘debt-strapped’ country into accepting so-called rescue packages, billions of dollars of loans, at exorbitant “high-risk” interest rates, with deadly strings attached.

The latter, the WB, would usually come in with loans – also euphemistically called “blank checks” – to be disbursed against a matrix of fulfilled conditions, of economic reforms, privatizations. Again, all usually resulting in massive government layoffs, unemployment, poverty. In fact, both the IMF and the WB approaches are similar and often overlapping – imposing “structural adjustment” (now in disguise given different names), to steal a countries resources, and sovereignty, by making them dependent on the very financial institutions that pretend to ‘help’ them.

The three most recent and flagrant cases of IMF interference were Greece, Ukraine and Argentina. Greece was doubly destroyed, once by her brothers and sisters of the European non-Union that blackmailed them into staying with the euro, instead of exiting it and converting to their local currency and regaining financial sovereignty.

Ukraine, possibly the richest country in terms of national resources and with an enormous agricultural potential due to her fertile soil, was “regime changed” by a bloody coup, The Maidan massacre in February 2014, instigated and planned by the CIA, the EU and NATO and carried out through the very US Embassy in Kiev. This was all long-term planning. Remember Victoria Nuland boasting that the US has spent more than 5 billion dollars over the past five year to bring about regime change and to convert Ukraine into a fully democratic country and making it ready to enter the European Union?

The western allies put a Nazi Government into Kiev, created a “civil war” with the eastern Russia-aligned part of Ukraine, the Donbass. Thousands of people were killed, millions fled the country, mostly to Russia – the country’s debt went through the roof, and – in comes the IMF, approving in December 2018a 14-month Stand-By Arrangement for Ukraine, with an immediate disbursement of US$ 1.4 billion. This is totally against the IMF’s own Constitution, because it does not allow lending to a country at war or conflict. Ukraine was an “exception”, dictated by the US. Blamed for the ever-changing and escalating Ukraine fiasco was Russia.

Another IMF victim is Argentina. In December 2015 through fraudulent election, Washington put a neoliberal henchman into the Presidency, Mauricio Macri. He carried out economic and labor reforms by decree and within the first 12 months in office, increased unemployment and poverty from about 12% he inherited from his predecessor, Christine Kirchner, to over 30%.

Within 15 years of Kirchner Governments, Argentina largely recovered from the collapse of 2000 / 2001 / 2002, accumulating a healthy reserve. There was no need to call the IMF to the rescue, except if it was a pre-condition for Macri to become president. In September 2018, Argentina contracted from the IMF the largest ever IMF loan of 57.1 billion dollars, to be disbursed over a three-year period, plunging Argentina in an almost irrecoverable debt situation.

The Bretton Woods Organizations – World Bank and IMF, were created in 1944 precisely for that reason, to enslave the world, particularly the resources-rich countries. The purpose of these so-called international financial institutions, foresaw an absolute veto power of the United States, meaning they are doing the bidding of the US Treasury. They were created under the UN Charter for good disguise, and are to work hand-in-glove with the fiat monetary system created in 1913 by the Federal Reserve Act. The pretext was to monitor western “convertible” currencies that subscribed to the also newly modified gold standard (1 Troy ounce [31.1 grams] of gold = US$ 35) , also established during the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944.

Both organizations started lending money – the Marshall Fund, managed by the world Bank in the 1950s – to war devastated Europe, moving gradually into economic development of “Third World” countries – and, eventually, in the 1980s showing their evil heads by introducing the neoliberal doctrines of the Washington Consensus worldwide. It is a miracle how they get away with spewing so much misery – literally unopposed for the last 30 – 40 years – throughout the world. Why are they not be stopped and dismantled? – The UN has 193 members; only a small proportion of them benefit from the IMF-WB financial crimes. Why does the vast majority – also potential victims, remain silent?

*




Peter Koenig is an economist and geopolitical analyst. He is also a water resources and environmental specialist. He worked for over 30 years with the World Bank and the World Health Organization around the world in the fields of environment and water. He lectures at universities in the US, Europe and South America. He writes regularly for Global Research; ICH; RT; Sputnik; PressTV; The 21st Century; Greanville Post; TeleSUR; The Saker Blog, the New Eastern Outlook (NEO); and other internet sites. He is the author of Implosion – An Economic Thriller about War, Environmental Destruction and Corporate Greed (http://www.amazon.com/Implosion-Economic-Environmental-Destruction-Corporate/dp/059545349X)– fiction based on facts and on 30 years of World Bank experience around the globe. He is also a co-author of The World Order and Revolution! – Essays from the Resistance (http://www.amazon.com/World-Order-Revolution-Essays-Resistance/dp/6027005874). He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization.

The original source of this article is Global Research
Copyright © Peter Koenig (https://www.globalresearch.ca/author/peter-koenig), Global Research, 2019

Related:


Economic Development and the Concept Of “Resistance Economy” – an Interview with the ‘Opinion Desk’ on Khamenei.ir, Iran (https://www.globalresearch.ca/economic-development-and-the-concept-of-resistance-economy-an-interview-with-the-opinion-desk-on-khamenei-ir-iran/5537644)

[Bill Ryan]

A little more. Do see this thread:


People power in Puerto Rico (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?108371-People-power-in-Puerto-Rico)

There, a couple of months ago, the Puerto Ricans, including large numbers of young people, took to the streets to successfully oust the corrupt and widely disliked governor, Ricardo Rosselló.

But there was no violence or aggression of any kind. It was more like a big carnival: dancing, music, but also, underneath that, a really strong united resolve.

This photo tells the story:

https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/190722165246-puerto-rico-manifestaciones-exlarge-169.jpg

In Ecuador, People Power also brought the government to its knees. But the mood was much more grim and serious, and there were many outbreaks of violence. Several people died.

The difference was the deep well of simmering anger that's been unresolved for a long time. Puerto Rico no longer has its indigenous culture: tragically, they were all wiped out long ago. The indigenous gene is still there, but the genetic memory of those bad times is very diluted now.

But in Ecuador, there are over a million indigenous people, all very much alive, angry, tough and determined. They have their genetic memory as well, and it's very strong.

So that greatly influenced the tenor of the protests. When caught up in the roadblocks personally, I could feel the anger. It wasn't to be messed with.

As per some of the articles posted above, this is what President Moreno is now faced with. An angry, active, well-connected indigenous population of 1.1 million. They've stepped back a little now, but their long-term outrage is still right there.

[Bill Ryan]

And more still: a different perspective on the roots of all this.


https://primicias.ec/noticias/firmas/ecuador-descubre-enemigo-esta-en-casa-servicios-inteligencia-fracasaron/

(Google translation here (https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.primicias.ec%2Fnoticias%2Ffirmas%2Fecuador-descubre-enemigo-esta-en-casa-servicios-inteligencia-fracasaron), very slightly tidied by myself. The English isn't at all perfect, but the message here can be understood.)

Ecuador discovers that the enemy is at home, and that the intelligence services failed

A report by a Colombian TV channel has analyzed images of the recent actions of groups of protesters, especially in Quito, and its conclusion is overwhelming.

Those groups of young people who had their faces covered and moved with such agility, using protectors and tubes to launch projectiles at the Police, are not ordinary people. The way to move like that, as a military squad, isn't learned in schools or universities, but via rigorous, specialized training.

That's why they used rocket launchers with such skill, the same ones used by special forces in riot units — the report said. They are experts who teach how to use the protective shields we all saw and covered those who threw projectiles with tubes.

The conclusions were more dramatic: something similar has been used recently in some Colombian cities, causing severe damage. The investigations that were carried out later realized that those who trained the protesters were agents from Cuba, Venezuela and Colombia itself, all countries where armed groups have caused major problems.

How did we get to this? Never before in present-day Ecuador had the action of gangs been seen, styled like this as urban guerrillas. 12 days of unemployment and mobilizations removed the blindfold from Ecuadorians who came face to face with terror, with hordes well-trained for evil.

The building of the Comptroller in flames was a very carefully planned act. The rage against the TV station Teleamazonas (https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.teleamazonas.com/&prev=search) by assaulting its facilities, breaking glass and doors and setting fire to the bus and several cars in which its employees were traveling, was in revenge for the journalistic revelations.

Nor had it ever been seen that uncontrolled hordes entered neighborhoods in search of destruction, intent on harm. That insurgence into towns and cities made men, women, and especially children, know this barbarism all too well.

The inhabitants there had to stand guard 24 hours to safeguard their lives and property. In several areas of Quito, some well-off, but also in some sectors where simple people lived, it was evident that they wanted to frighten them severely so that the chaos would prevail.

In Guayaquil, a strategic move, jointly by the authorities and also the citizens there, prevented their city from being damaged on October 9 — a glorious date on which their independence is celebrated. But on the same day, the historic center of Cuenca was vandalized.

With tools, they broke cobblestones and sidewalks; they shattered traffic lights and some of the new tram infractructure, yet to be operational. And looting the premises of a milk company, as well as flower and vegetable producers, was unprecedented.

Another act of barbarism was to tear apart patrimonial buildings in Quito, as well as its centuries-old cobblestones, and to burn a Metro station. Videos recorded how cash was delivered to the vandals. It became clear that we must act to remove the evil... but at its real root.

This indoctrination of the ideology of hate demonstrated what is capable even among people who were peaceful but also naive. Behind everything, there was the most perverse use of the indigenous movement.

The coup leaders perversely ensured that no justice would befall them. That is why it was unlikely that the president of CONAIE, Jaime Vargas, would allow the Armed Forces to withdraw support for President Moreno.

In all this, it's clear that political intelligence failed. It just wasn't known that all this had germinated in the country.

How did they not follow up after Ricardo Patiño announced that they were going through the phase of taking buildings and sowing chaos? How did they not monitor those who Rodrigo Collahuazo, in 2016, trained in the use of weapons and attacks, although they said it was a picnic? How did they not presume that the mafias that traffic fuels to Colombia, Peru and the ships in the Pacific were going to react because of the rising cost of gasoline and diesel?

The only thing they got right was to warn that the government and the president were at imminent risk. The president did well to move the government headquarters to Guayaquil. But that does not excuse them, in any way, of their negligent attitude that put the whole nation in serious danger.

[Rosemarie]

Thank you Bill. I have a cousin and a friend of my son who had first hand experience with people from Venezuela and Cuba who were “ helping our Ecuadorian brothers “‘ during the riots, destroying whatever they encounter. ( after we open our country while they were escaping from their own ) I will tell you their experience. Unfortunately I am busy getting ready to go and see my daughter ..... but as soon as I have time I will share.

Edit : that google translation is not bad or you were very good ! Have to teach myself how to use it. Sometimes I find articles that can show another point of view and feel lazy translating them.

[RunningDeer]

I will tell you their experience. Unfortunately I am busy getting ready to go and see my daughter ..... but as soon as I have time I will share.

Wonderful http://paula.avalonlibrary.net/smilies/plane.gif Rosemarie!


Enjoy your time together.
........ https://i.imgur.com/RJT1PoO.gif

♡

[AutumnW]

The conclusions were more dramatic: something similar has been used recently in some Colombian cities, causing severe damage. The investigations that were carried out later realized that those who trained the protesters were agents from Cuba, Venezuela and Colombia itself, all countries where armed groups have caused major problems.

I suspect they are agent provocateurs from these countries, orginally, but funded by those who want civil unrest to force regime change. They can then seize or control oil fields and other natural and public resources.

Whoever wrote this piece would like us to equate the actions of these organized thugs with the political system and leaders of their country of origin. It further demonizes Venezuela and Cuba, killing several birds with one stone.

Things aren't what they appear, imho

[Bill Ryan]

From: https://cuencahighlife.com/tension-builds-between-indigenous-and-the-government-as-conaie-rejects-economic-reforms
(https://cuencahighlife.com/tension-builds-between-indigenous-and-the-government-as-conaie-rejects-economic-reforms)
Personal note: I'm now well-prepared for the next round of nationwide protests, which is far from unlikely. If this all happens again, it would mean travel, even short distances locally, would be impossible. But I have a good store of food, gasoline, and gas for heating and cooking, and if necessary I could sit out an extended siege in comfort.

Tension builds between indigenous and the government as CONAIE rejects economic reforms
15 Nov, 2019

There has been no progress in efforts to reconcile the positions of Ecuador’s indigenous movement and the government since the two sides agreed to talk October 13, ending 10 days of nationwide protests.

https://cuencahighlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/chl-vargas3.png
Jaime Vargas

“There have been no meetings since October 24,” according to Jaime Vargas, president of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie). “The government is now engaged in persecution and repression against our people and as long as this continues there can be no talks. If the situation does not change we may be forced to return to the streets.”

Vargas and other indigenous leaders are angered by the arrests of hundreds of protesters as well as an investigation into comments made by Vargas suggesting that the indigenous would form their own army. “Instead of reaching out to us, the government is treating us as criminals,” he says.

Indigenous leaders are also upset about the package of economic reforms that the government submitted to the National Assembly and that is currently being debated. “This is even worse than the presidential actions [the suspension of fuel subsidies] that created the national strike in October,” Vargas says.

Indigenous leader Leonidas Iza adds that the government’s economic reforms are a “capitulation to the IMF [International Monetary Fund] and will punish Ecuador’s indigenous and poor.” He adds that the government is ignoring the economic proposals submitted by Conaie two weeks ago. “This is in the hands of the executive and the National Assembly president but it is not being discussed.”

Tensions have also risen over a verbal exchange between Vice President Otto Sonnenholzner and Vargas, in which Sonnenholzner rejected Vargas’ suggestion that he needed permission to visit indigenous communities. “As I understand it, an Ecuadorian does not need a visa to travel in his own country,” the vice president said.

Vargas says that the indigenous movement is considering its next move given the “worsening climate of non-cooperation.”

Among those considerations, he says, is preparation for the February 2021 elections. “We are building a coalition of support among the indigenous, peasant, transporter, mestizo and Afro communities and believe we will be a powerful force at the polls.”

Vargas says it is too early to say whether the movement will present a presidential candidate or whether the movement will be organized under the indigenous Pachakutik party banner. In recent elections, Pachakutik has had limited success, rarely polling more than two to three percent in local and national elections.

[Hervé]

RT Spanish pulled from broadcasting in Ecuador 'because they gave me platform' - Correa (https://www.rt.com/news/473734-correa-moreno-rt-spanish/)

RT (https://www.rt.com/news/473734-correa-moreno-rt-spanish/)
Mon, 18 Nov 2019 17:10 UTC


https://www.sott.net/image/s27/546120/large/5dd3aca885f540121121eca0.jpg (https://www.sott.net/image/s27/546120/full/5dd3aca885f540121121eca0.jpg)
© AFP / Aris Oikonomou


Former leader of Ecuador Rafael Correa believes his country's national broadcaster suddenly cut its distribution of RT Spanish simply because the channel gave him a platform to air views critical of Lenin Moreno's government.
"I am very sorry, I feel bad, because I think the National Telecommunications Corporation has cut off RT's broadcast because of me," Correa, who hosts a weekly political talk show on the channel, said.

"In this particular case it looks like RT is being censored simply because they offered me a platform for my program."
Correa's comments come days after Ecuador's National Telecommunications Corporation (NTC) decided to cease (https://www.rt.com/news/473584-ecuador-cut-off-broadcast-rt/) its broadcast of RT Spanish without prior notice or explanation.

The latter has "not yet received any explanation" from the NTC for its decision, Maya Erkova, deputy head of RT's Distribution Service confirmed on Monday. Curiously enough, last month, Ecuador's Interior Minister Maria Paula Romo publicly complained about the channel's coverage of massive anti-Moreno protests, sparked by planned austerity measures, which rocked the Ecuadorian capital of Quito for weeks.

In the midst of chaos, Moreno accused Correa of attempting to "destabilize" the state. Moreno's critics argue, however, that his quick embracing of neoliberal IMF-approved economic policies, not outside or foreign meddling, are to blame for recent turmoil.

Indeed, since the right-wing Moreno government took the reins, Ecuador has gone from being a global leader in poverty reduction to "another third world IMF basket case," historian Enrique Rivera wrote for RT last month. A 2017 paper from the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) found (http://cepr.net/press-center/press-releases/ecuador-after-ten-years-of-president-correa-new-paper-examines-key-indicators-reforms-and-policy-changes) that Ecuador's poverty rate declined by 38 percent and extreme poverty by 47 percent thanks to a doubling of social spending and government programs aimed at helping the poor under Correa's leadership.

Correa said the decision to cut RT Spanish reflects that fact that the Moreno government "keeps talking about freedom of speech," but in reality "applies double standards," he said.

"This is a national broadcaster [NTI]. It belongs to all citizens of Ecuador, and it doesn't belong to Lenin Moreno."

Correa has also claimed recently that Moreno enjoys a cozy (https://www.rt.com/news/470476-correa-interview-reasons-protests-ecuador/) relationship with much of the country's media, which has been "distorting facts" and covered the anti-government protests selectively.

The RT Spanish team covering the demonstrations were assaulted by police attempting to disperse protesters last month, with camera crew and reporters being pushed and beaten with batons. "Our helmets saved our lives," RT correspondent Nicolas O'Donovan said at the time.

The current leader of the Latin American country has also overseen a drastic shift in policy on the fate of Australian whistleblower Julian Assange, who was granted political refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for nearly seven years under the Correa government. Assange was arrested inside the embassy in April after Moreno decided to revoke his asylum in a decision Correa called "a crime that humanity will never forget." Human rights groups as well as renowned journalists and politicians also castigated the move by Moreno.

RT Spanish, which began its broadcast in 2009, is popular across Latin America, with a weekly audience of 21 million viewers and a monthly average of 25 million viewers, the channel says (https://actualidad.rt.com/actualidad/333855-television-publica-ecuador-rt-espanol).

Related:

Rafael Correa: Morales forced out by 'coup'; OAS an instrument for 'US domination' (https://www.sott.net/article/423707-Rafael-Correa-Morales-forced-out-by-coup-OAS-an-instrument-for-US-domination)



Assange was sold for $4.2 BILLION - Former Ecuadorian President confirms IMF loan in exchange for Assange (https://www.sott.net/article/411058-Assange-was-sold-4-2-BILLION-Former-Ecuadorian-President-confirms-IMF-loan-in-exchange-for-Assange)



Bolivia Coup Led by Christian Fascist Paramilitary Leader And Millionaire - With Foreign Support (https://www.sott.net/article/423819-Bolivia-Coup-Led-by-Christian-Fascist-Paramilitary-Leader-And-Millionaire-With-Foreign-Support)

[Kryztian]

Excerpted from: https://thegrayzone.com/2021/02/06/yaku-perez-pachakutik-ecuador-us-coup/

How Ecuador’s US-backed, coup-supporting ‘ecosocialist’ candidate Yaku Pérez aids the right-wing

Ecuador’s presidential candidate Yaku Pérez supported coups in Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. His US-backed party Pachakutik and supposedly “left-wing” environmentalist campaign is being promoted by right-wing corporate lobbyists.

https://i.imgur.com/wO2NpEB.jpg?1

QUITO, ECUADOR – Ecuador’s February 7 presidential election concluded in a surprise: The quick count published by the country’s National Electoral Council appeared to show a little-known candidate named Yaku Pérez Guartambel in second place, securing a narrow victory over right-wing candidate Guillermo Lasso, a banker with significant influence in the country.

Most polls had predicted that the presidential race would boil down to two presidential candidates, who could hardly have been more different: On one side was the conservative banker Lasso, who had the backing of Ecuadorian elites and the United States, and had unsuccessfully run for president twice before; while on the other was a youthful left-wing economist, Andrés Arauz, who follows in the footsteps of socialist former President Rafael Correa and wants to return to his Citizens’ Revolution.

But while polling consistently showed him coming in third place, Yaku Pérez stayed in the race until the end. And unlike Lasso, Pérez didn’t claim fidelity to the right-wing; he ran what was marketed as a progressive environmentalist campaign.

Pérez, an Indigenous leader from Ecuador’s party Pachakutik, purported to be the true left-wing option in the election, condemning Arauz and the socialist Correista movement he represents for being insufficiently pure. But Pérez’s political record suggests he is a Trojan horse for the left’s most bitter enemies.

The support Pérez apparently has from the US embassy reflects his dubious role. Immediately after the election, when Ecuador’s National Electoral Council (CNE) had still not officially published results determining who would go to the presidential run-off in April, Pérez said the US embassy called him and assured he would be the second-place candidate.

1358971944427749377

Pérez has viciously attacked other progressive movements in Latin America, supporting right-wing US-backed coups targeting Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, and demonizing those countries’ leftist governments as “racist.”

His political views fuse ultra-leftist, anarchistic critiques of existing left-wing states with an objectively right-wing political agenda. And his opposition to state power is deeply opportunistic. While Pérez harshly criticizes China, he has simultaneously pronounced he “will not think twice” about signing a trade deal with the United States.

Full article is here: https://thegrayzone.com/2021/02/06/yaku-perez-pachakutik-ecuador-us-coup/

[ ... ]

The party of Yaku Pérez, Pachakutik, identifies as “ecosocialist” and claims to represent Ecuador’s Indigenous communities. But like the candidate that represents it, the party employs left-wing rhetoric to paper over regressive goals.

Pachakutik is closely linked to NGOs funded by Washington and EU member states. The party’s leaders have been trained by the US government-funded National Democratic Institute (NDI), a CIA cutout that operates under the auspices of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

The NED publicly lists more than $5 million in grants for NGOs in Ecuador just in the years from 2016 to 2019. Much of this money has bankrolled anti-Correa opposition groups like Pachakutik and its allies.

[ ... ]

Pachakutik’s ties to Washington are extensive. One of its most prominent former members is Fernando Villavicencio, an Ecuadorian journalist who spearheaded a disinformation campaign targeting journalist Julian Assange, peddling discredited but deeply damaging claims about the Wikileaks publisher through the major British newspaper The Guardian.

Villavicencio’s anti-Correa activism also appears to have been funded by the US government’s National Endowment for Democracy.

Villavicencio served as an advisor for Pachakutik National Assembly member Cléver Jiménez, who helped lead the 2010 coup attempt against Correa.

Yaku Pérez held a public demonstration in support of Villavicencio and Jiménez when Correa sued them for defamation for spreading blatant fake news about him.

[ ... ]

The deployment of ostensibly progressive “environmentalist” talking points to destabilize left-wing governments in Bolivia, Venezuela, Mexico, and beyond was developed over a decade ago, to weaken the democratically elected government of Ecuador’s former socialist President Rafael Correa.

To undercut Correa, the United States and Western European governments funded civil society groups in Ecuador that claimed to support environmental causes and indigenous rights, but ended up serving as tentacles of the right-wing opposition.

Throughout their tenures in office, Ecuador’s Correa and Bolivia’s Evo Morales faced heavy opposition to their ambitious infrastructure initiatives. Environmentalist and indigenous groups, many supported by the United States, initiated widespread protests in 2011 to try to stop the construction of a large highway in Bolivia, with similar demonstrations to obstruct mining projects in Ecuador in 2012.

Cables from the intelligence firm Stratfor, known as the “shadow CIA,” that were published by WikILeaks show that the US government contractor was carefully monitoring anti-Correa protests, and specifically named Pérez Guartambel, then known as Carlos Pérez, in 2011.

The most extreme attempt at destabilizing Correa’s government came with a violent US-backed coup attempt on September 30, 2010. Defectors from the Ecuadorian police and military occupied the parliament, blocked major streets, took over state institutions, and effectively kidnapped Correa.

Five people were killed in the attempted putsch, and hundreds were wounded. Ecuador’s opposition nearly succeeded in removing the elected president from power.

Full article is here: https://thegrayzone.com/2021/02/06/yaku-perez-pachakutik-ecuador-us-coup/

[Bill Ryan]

Excerpted from: https://thegrayzone.com/2021/02/06/yaku-perez-pachakutik-ecuador-us-coup/

How Ecuador’s US-backed, coup-supporting ‘ecosocialist’ candidate Yaku Pérez aids the right-wingMany thanks, Chris — and now things are getting complicated and controversial.

Pérez claimed election fraud, when (as in the US!) the reported vote count seemed to do something pretty strange at the very last minute. At first a recount was authorized, but that has now been canceled (https://cuencahighlife.com/in-a-stunning-reversal-elections-council-decides-against-recount-indigenous-plan-massive-protests/) by the National Elections Council. News article here:


In a stunning reversal, National Elections Council decides against recount; Indigenous plan massive protests (https://cuencahighlife.com/in-a-stunning-reversal-elections-council-decides-against-recount-indigenous-plan-massive-protests/)

Pérez represents (or claims to represent) indigenous people in Ecuador, and so there's sure to be big trouble ahead unless the recount resumes and is agreed to come to a fair result.

In October 2019 indigenous groups, together with bus and taxi owners, brought the country to a total standstill. Nothing could move. This was triggered by tax increases on gasoline and diesel, and the country lost billions of dollars. The government backed down after 10 days.

There were locally organized roadblocks (manned barricades with burning tires even on minor roads), while the police stepped away and did nothing to intervene. I got entangled in all that (https://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?108762-Turmoil-in-Ecuador&p=1317068&viewfull=1#post1317068) for a full 36 hours, unable to get home till I eventually found a way via a string of obscure mountain dirt roads.

Ever since then, I've maintained a healthy backup of supplies, ready to be holed up at home for quite a while if ever necessary. So, we'll see what happens. If they insist on no recount then I'm all prepared.

But that would be kinda crazy: recounts should never be a problem if an election is disputed. (Someone tell that to the US Supreme Court. :) ) And Ecuador's economy, like that of many other countries, has suffered considerably. So another blow to the economy would be a severe impact — which of course the indigenous leaders know all too well.

[Ravenlocke]

VIDEO: Ecuador’s indigenous revolt against their neoliberal president

😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
The Grayzone spoke with leaders of Ecuador’s indigenous movements, now engaged in ferocious street protests against the privatization policies of President Guillermo Lasso, a billionaire banker. The activists defended their demands and detailed the brutal repression they have witnessed as their rebellion spreads across one of the last right-wing controlled countries on the South American continent.

https://thegrayzone.com/2022/06/20/ecuadors-indigenous-revolt-neoliberal-president/



9iwCkwZtZyE

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/ReadovkaWorld/status/1541396677243944960
1541396677243944960

[Bill Ryan]

https://twitter.com/ReadovkaWorld/status/1541396677243944960
1541396677243944960~~~

Thanks! I had to go to Readovka to read that [not very good] news.


https://readovka-news.translate.goog/news/102239?_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

Ecuador urgently stops oil production
This is due to the ongoing protests in the country

Oil production in Ecuador is at a critically low level and will be completely stopped in two days. As reported on social networks by the Ministry of Energy and Mining of the republic, this will happen from June 28 if logistics at refineries and wells, disrupted as a result of mass protests, are not restored.
“ If this situation continues, after 48 hours, oil production in the country will be suspended, as due to vandalism, seizure of wells and road closures, it is not possible to transport raw materials and diesel fuel necessary to maintain work ,” the message says.
The department said that before the protests, the average production was 520 thousand barrels, and now it has decreased by more than 50%. Thus, during the two weeks of ongoing unrest, the state lost $120 million. 1176 wells have already been closed.

Since June 13, protests of indigenous peoples against the social and economic policies of the country's leadership have continued in Ecuador. The protesters are demanding a freeze on gasoline prices, an end to further mining and oil projects.

Earlier, Readovka wrote that in Ecuador, three provinces at once introduced (https://readovka-news.translate.goog/news/101334?_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp) state of emergency.
And also:


https://readovka-news.translate.goog/news/102256?_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso lowers fuel prices
A compromise was reached with the protesters

Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso compromised with the protesters. He lowered the previously set fixed price for fuel, talking about it on Twitter.

Guillermo Lasso explained that this was done by the fact that many protesters consider the cost of gasoline to be a key factor in maintaining the conflict. According to the President of Ecuador, although the government is absolutely clear that the problems are caused by completely different reasons, the country's authorities should first of all think about the common good and peace.
“For this reason, I have decided to reduce the price of Extra gasoline and Ecopais by 10 cents per gallon, and diesel by 10 cents per gallon ,” Lasso said in a social media appeal.
Since June 13, protests of indigenous peoples against the social and economic policies of the country's leadership have continued in Ecuador. The protesters are demanding a freeze on gasoline prices, an end to further mining and oil projects.
My own comment:

I wasn't expecting that. That means the price per gallon for regular gasoline and diesel will be $2.45 and $1.80 respectively. All readers will know that it was already super-cheap by global standards.

The local situation here is unchanged:

Here's the latest English-language news report (where I'll hear more about the oil production and gas pries situation this evening or tomorrow morning)"


https://cuencahighlife.com/mayor-pleads-for-end-of-strike-says-cuenca-lives-are-at-risk-stalled-supply-convoy-could-roll-today

Mayor pleads for end of strike, says Cuenca ‘lives are at risk’; Stalled supply convoy could roll today
Cuenca Mayor Pedro Palacios pleaded with the government and indigenous leaders Sunday night to resolve the nationwide strike. “In Cuenca, we are in an unsustainable situation, a situation where we live in almost complete isolation,” he said. “We demand urgent action from both sides since lives are at risk.”

In a two-minute video, Palacios urged President Guillermo Lasso to provide the leadership to find a solution and pleaded with strike leader Leonidas Iza to open the highways to allow supplies to enter the city. “Mr. Iza, you said you will open humanitarian corridors for essential goods to pass and now is the time to do it.”

Palacios called the tactics of strikers a “return to the past,” asking why, “in the 21st century, are we still living through a situation like this.”

Palacios’ plea to Iza was in reference to a large truck convoy stalled on the Cajas highway near Molleturo. Early Sunday, Iza urged his followers at roadblocks to allow ambulances and trucks with medical supplies, LP gas and food to pass. “In solidarity with all the Ecuadorian people, I ask this cooperation. We have contacted the Red Cross to assist with the logistics.”

According to restaurant owner Luca Pallanca, Iza’s comments were a result of the blockage of trucks bringing medical oxygen and other hospital supplies to Cuenca. Early Sunday, two hospitals said they would soon run out of oxygen if new supplies did not arrive.
Personally: :)

I'm 100% fine. I'm rather missing my daily fresh fruit, but I'm substituting with soaked raisins and prunes. (Not bad, actually.) I have home-made bread in the oven, and I've also just made some chocolate. (Raw cacao, honey and coconut oil: delicious. :Party: ) It's all been a very useful dry run for tougher times that may lie ahead, and I know this particular situation just now has to be merely temporary.

So for me, everything's close to normal, except that I can't drive anywhere to get to the high mountains. If that's the biggest problem I have, then all's well.
:happy dog:

[Ravenlocke]

“ Thanks! I had to go to Readovka to read that [not very good] news.”

Sorry Bill, I would have brought the article but I don’t have a telegram account.

[Johnnycomelately]

The Grayzone, today. Part 2 of the unrest and with interviews of indigenous leaders, following the report posted (#60) by Ravenlocke on June 21.

No mention of the fuel price drop in this vid, so it was recorded apparently 1 or 2 days ago.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IJNJ61vtlg

[Bill Ryan]

In Cuenca, transport workers have apparently joined the protests, so warnings have been posted that the city will be gridlocked today with barely anything or anyone able to move. (And I'd guess the same might well happen in Quito as well.) There's no end in sight, despite a few concessions, and CONAIE (the indigenous protest movement) seems determined to bring down the government. This doesn't feel impossible now.

I'm fully behind CONAIE, and I support all their demands, but I don't know enough about the cold economic realities to have a view on how pragmatically possible meeting their demands might be.

As I posted earlier, this has to be a temporary situation, as there's no way this can continue for too long. But it does offer a kind of time-portal view into the kinds of "unrest" (what a euphemism! :) ) that might be seen in MANY countries all over the world in months to come, with no easy quick-fix solutions in any way possible.

[Bill Ryan]

Breaking news here (and this is actually a correct use of the overworked and much-abused term :) ) — it seems a peace agreement has been reached between the government and the protestors.

https://telesurenglish.net/news/Ecuador-Strike-to-End-After-CONAIE-Government-Dialogue-20220630-0009.html

Strike to End After CONAIE-Government Dialogue

(my comments following)

The agreement hasn't actually been signed yet, but that may not be anything that's a problem. This situation, though it was acute, always had to be temporary, because it was based on emotional (though deeply-felt) issues among the poorest of the population: not so much systemic supply-chain and shortage problems, the kind which will definitely hit almost the entire rest of the world very hard in the next few months.

So it means that the demands could be met — such as reducing the nationally fixed and subsidized prices of gasoline and diesel by $0.15 to $2.40 and $1.75/gallon respectively. How long the government can maintain those very low prices is an open question.

Another observation is how rapidly the country was brought to a critical standstill simply by blocking highways with (e.g.) construction machinery, buses, burning tires or felled trees.

It's relatively easy in Ecuador to do this, because of the mountainous terrain and therefore the relatively few numbers of highways connecting anywhere with anywhere else. In a flat country, it's a lot easier, as there are so many alternative routes.

But many other people throughout the world will have been watching all this very carefully, noting how easy it is to do with grass-roots organization that spreads virally very fast on social media.

Unlike the situation with the truckers in Canada, protestors operating like this in a developing country can't easily be identified, and many don't even have bank accounts that can be frozen.

So this kind of thing may become more widespread in many developing countries before not too long — Sri Lanka has already been there, of course — in situations when the governments may be helpless to do anything at all. And in countries where many of the protestors may have guns, concealed or not, things could easily go bad quite quickly.

[Bill Ryan]

...reducing the nationally fixed and subsidized prices of gasoline and diesel by $0.15 to $2.40 and $1.75/gallon respectively. How long the government can maintain those very low prices is an open question.

Everything is suddenly all normal again in Ecuador, like someone flicked a giant switch. :) The first day after the signed agreement, some shelves were still empty, but that's because roadblocked supply trucks had only just arrived. The second day, it was like nothing had ever happened.

But I'm not the only one who wonders how long the government can maintain the very low fuel prices.


https://cuencahighlife.com/fuel-prices-drop-but-concern-grows-about-the-cost-of-subsidies-which-would-could-exceed-3-billion

Fuel prices drop but concern grows about the cost of subsidies

[extracted]

Although motorists aren’t complaining about lower prices for regular gasoline and diesel fuel, the government is scrambling to figure out how to pay for the increased subsidy. Prices for low-octane gasoline and diesel dropped 15 cents Saturday following the agreement between the government and the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (CONAIE) that ended the 18-day national strike.

The prices will be fixed at those rates for the foreseeable future.

According to Ministry of Economy and Finance, the the price reductions will increase the fuel subsidy by $340 million a year.

“The increase means the country pays more than $3 billion annually for gasoline, diesel and cooking gas,” says Jaime Carrera, director of the Ecuador Fiscal Policy Observatory. “This is a huge amount for a small country and it means the government will have to abandon its plan to reduce the deficit.” He adds, “At this point we haven’t heard anything about increasing the tax base so we wonder what the payment options are other than more borrowing.”

Finance Minister Simón Cueva is non-committal about covering the new debt. “The price reductions at the pump were just installed this weekend and it will take time to figure out the economics of it,” he says. “There are a number of options and it is important to remember that the revenue base has been increased by higher oil prices.”

Critics of the lower fuel costs negotiated with Conaie say there are better ways to help the poorer population and suggest the current system of subsidies does more harm than good. “It’s a tragedy we pay so much in subsidies,” says Vicente Albornoz, a University of the Americas dean. “That $3 billion should be used for education, health care and law enforcement and could go a long way in solving some of our social and infrastructure problems.”

[Ravenlocke]

Hello again, I can’t get into the last page of “Turmoil in Equador”, it will not load the whole page, so I’m just going to post this bit of news here and maybe it can be moved later.

https://twitter.com/spriteer_774400/status/1546846215337377793
1546846215337377793

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/TheGrayzoneNews/status/1595931744925995008

1595931744925995008



In the second chapter of filmmaker Oscar Leon's series on Ecuador's resistance, Leon travels to the rural Andean community of Buenos Aires to meet rural campesinos and indigenous citizens defending their land against multinational mining companies. The clash over land and resources goes to the heart of the conflict that paralyzed Ecuador's society in the summer of 2022 and challenged the presidency of billionaire neoliberal banker Guillermo Lasso.

SeaaxAlopi0

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/BenjaminNorton/status/1643282971330478080

1643282971330478080



https://cepr.net/press-release/ecuador-murder-of-key-witness-in-investigation-of-president-lasso-others-raises-more-questions/

Ecuador: Murder of Key Witness in Investigation of President Lasso, Others, Raises More Questions

Witness Was Close Associate of Lasso’s Inner Circle, Business Partners, and Campaign Donors

Washington, DC — On Friday, Ecuadorian police found the body of Rubén Cherres, who had apparently been murdered, alongside three other people, in Punta Blanca, a seaside resort on the Ecuadorian coast. Authorities had been looking for Cherres since January 21, when a warrant was issued for his arrest. Cherres’s murder is the latest crime in a series of corruption revelations that have shaken Ecuador, and that implicate Ecuador’s scandal-plagued president, Guillermo Lasso.

“This multiple murder raises more questions about Lasso’s inner circle and the mounting evidence that the president has been surrounded by corruption and criminal enterprises,” said Mark Weisbrot, co-director of the Center of Economic and Policy Research. “The Biden administration should not be seen supporting a government like this.”

Rubén Cherres was a close collaborator of Danilo Carrera, President Lasso’s brother-in-law and lifelong business associate. Carrera was also an important funder of Lasso’s presidential campaign. Carrera and Lasso share a long history at Banco de Guayaquil, in which Lasso is a majority shareholder, and in the offshore emporium that they built around it. When Lasso was elected in 2021, Carrera replaced him as president of the bank.

Although he holds no formal position in the Lasso administration, several former government officials have stated that Carrera plays an important advisory role to the president and is a powerful figure in the presidential palace. Notably, Carrera accompanied Lasso on his December 2022 trip to Washington, DC.

“Several investigations have alleged that President Lasso has used the United States financial system as a tax haven and to hide assets, in violation of both Ecuadorian and US law,” said Weisbrot. “The Biden administration should investigate this, in accordance with its commitments to countering this type of corruption, as well as supporting our own rule of law in the United States.”

In the last few months, journalists from La Posta have accused Carrera of being at the center of a complex web of corruption. Carrera was first accused of being involved with false contracts in the energy sector. Then leaks of phone and chat conversations implicated Carrera in a cash-for-executive-appointments scheme, including appointments in ministerial positions. The murdered Cherres allegedly was the man tasked to run these schemes, which are now being investigated by the prosecutor general.

On February 24, the prosecutor general announced it was opening a new investigation into Lasso’s shutting down of a police probe into Cherres’s links with what Ecuadorian authorities have referred to as the “Albanian mafia,” a drug-trafficking ring. The allegations are that Lasso exerted pressure on the commander of the National Police and the head of the anti-narcotics police to cover up the investigation’s report.

Lasso, meanwhile, has done everything in his power to block investigations in which he is involved. He withdrew specialized police personnel from the prosecutor’s office, and has repeatedly threatened journalists who have made this corruption public. The latter have complained that they have been the target of frequent death threats, most recently denouncing renewed threats to their lives and safety last Friday.

With the death of Rubén Cherres, a key witness in the potential links between the Lasso administration and organized crime has been eliminated.

Lasso currently faces impeachment proceedings, which have been approved by the country’s Constitutional Court. In accordance with the law, this impeachment will be settled in Ecuador’s parliament, the National Assembly, which will vote in the coming weeks on whether to remove Lasso from office.

The Constitutional Court approved the impeachment proceedings on the grounds of an additional accusation of corruption that recently emerged. Lasso is accused of having opposed the termination, and then authorizing the renewal, of an allegedly overpriced oil transportation contract. The manager of the state-owned oil transportation company claims to have warned the president that this contract was not legitimately priced and would have significant budgetary effects. This manager was then fired after attempting to terminate these contracts. A report from the comptroller general also advising the president against the signing of these contracts was received, but ignored, by Lasso. As a result, Lasso has been accused by the National Assembly of embezzling public funds.

“The Biden administration should refrain from any statement or action that could be seen as interference in Ecuador’s sovereign judicial process and in the investigations into the possible crimes committed by Lasso. Failure to make clear that the US supports the rule of law in Ecuador risks alienating the US government from the population and from other governments in the region,” said CEPR’s Director of International Policy Alex Main. “In light of mounting evidence of criminal behavior at the highest levels in Ecuador, the Biden administration should scrupulously avoid expressing positions that could be seen as attempts to shore up President Lasso. Instead, the Department of Justice should show that it takes corruption allegations seriously, no matter where they may emerge, and investigate Lasso and Carrera’s offshore holdings in the US.”


https://twitter.com/telesurenglish/status/1641494494490112019

1641494494490112019

¤=[Post Update]=¤

https://twitter.com/KawsachunNews/status/1642904103855505409

1642904103855505409

https://kawsachunnews.com/ecuador-congress-to-debate-lasso-impeachment

Ecuador: Congress to Debate Lasso Impeachment

The Oversight Commission of the National Assembly of Ecuador will today debate the request for impeachment against neoliberal President Guillermo Lasso, for the crime of embezzlement.

Evidence will be presented in congress, then the commission will have a period of 10 days to prepare a report that recommends or rejects impeachment against the Ecuadorian president.

Last week the country’s Constitutional Court approved the opening of impeachment proceedings, a process then taken up by the Legislative Administration Council (CAL) who have now asked the Oversight Commission to suspend other processes and political trials in order to focus on this case against Guillermo Lasso.

On Sunday, President Guillermo Lasso denied the allegations and said that he will present his defense to the National Assembly if the impeachment trial goes ahead.

Former presidential candidate, Andres Arauz, has labeled Lasso’s right-wing government as a ‘narco-banker government’, saying recently; “Why am I talking about a government of narco-bankers? Lasso’s narrative (during the elections) was that Ecuador was full of drug traffickers, it turns out that those who were full of drug traffickers were the financial institutions that he owned. The country has civil servants who, for the most part, are honest people; teachers, doctors, nurses, policemen, and soldiers. The problem is not the people. The problem is that we are led by a banker president linked to these organized mafias.”

[Ravenlocke]

https://kawsachunnews.com/ecuador-has-a-narco-banker-government-arauz

Ecuador has a ‘narco-banker government’: Arauz
March 13, 2023Andres Arauz, Ecuador
The following is an interview with Andres Arauz, former left-wing presidential candidate for the Correista UNES alliance in 2021. This interview originally appeared in Nodal.

Why do you call the government of Guillermo Lasso a government of narco-bankers?

Let’s start with the revelation, by the media allied to Lasso himself, that his brother-in-law Danilo Carrera, chairman of Banco Guayaquil, has ties to sectors of the Albanian mafia, a criminal drug organization that present in the Ecuador, and they have designated people within Ecuador’s public companies and ministries. The Prosecutor’s Office even raided the presidential palace itself looking for evidence of this corruption and called the case the “encuento” case, alluding to Guillermo Lasso’s second-round slogan calling himself the “encuentro” candidate (coming together). The Lasso family, public officials, financial institutions, mafias, and other criminals, are involved here. The Prosecutor’s Office has decided to reopen the case that was closed by Lasso himself two years ago, and congress is also investigating this. This could end in the impeachment of Guillermo Lasso as President.

Why am I talking about a government of narco-bankers? Lasso’s narrative (during the elections) was that Ecuador was full of drug traffickers, it turns out that those who were full of drug traffickers were the financial institutions that he owned. The country has civil servants who, for the most part, are honest people; teachers, doctors, nurses, policemen, and soldiers. The problem is not the people. The problem is that we are led by a banker president linked to these organized mafias.

Can you refresh us a bit about all the links between the president and tax havens?

Lasso, like most of the Latin American financial elites, has hidden his fortunes abroad: In the Cayman Islands, in Panama, in Florida, Miami, Dakota, in the British Virgin Islands. But in addition to all this, Lasso owns a bank in Panama, the Banisi bank, which contributes to capital flight and tax evasion. This bank was created in Panama along with another bank that Lasso founded on the island of Montserrat to evade Ecuadorian regulations and be able to capture deposits from Ecuador, but without complying with Ecuadorian legislation.

On Lasso’s official trips abroad, and particularly to the United States, he is usually accompanied by Danilo Carrera. This is his brother-in-law, but he is also the president of the Banco de Guayaquil board of directors, a person extremely trusted by Lasso. It makes no sense for a private bank official to be on an official Ecuadorian government trip, but it turns out that this banker, Danilo Carrera, also has another network of offshore companies abroad. Carrera is a close friend of a person named Rubén Chérez who has already been sentenced in Ecuador for drug trafficking, he also operated a mafia network for the sale of government jobs with the help of the Albanian mafia, a transnational criminal organization that has a leading role in the export of drugs from South America to Europe. Lasso, his family, and those close to him, make up this government of narco-bankers.

All of this is happening at a time of extreme political weakness following his catastrophic defeat last month in the local elections. The presidential elections are in 2025. Can you survive that long when the country is also mired in a serious economic and social crisis?

Unfortunately, Lasso can survive two more years with the support of the hegemonic media, the police, and the armed forces, and the influence of the United States embassy that has recently allocated a budget of 100 million dollars, through the USAID office of transition initiatives, to try to sustain his government by influencing the media, social organizations and political parties, seeking to divide and conquer.

The one who will not be able to survive two more years is the Ecuadorian people and the best demonstration of this is the homicide rate in the country, the highest in history, and the migration rate, that is, the rate of departure of Ecuadorians. The exodus of Ecuadorians in 2023 has exceeded the exodus of other sister countries in the region that are facing an economic blockade, financial sanctions, and attacks of all kinds.

The worst tragedy is in the Darien jungle between Colombia and Panama where Ecuadorians are crossing on foot with the intention to seek an opportunity in the North. We have a chronic recession, an unemployment crisis, a public health crisis. Lasso has instead focussed on political persecution, while small businesses are forced to pay extortion money to criminal gangs to avoid being attacked.

Lasso was the main person responsible for the banking crisis in the 90s that led to the dollarization of the Ecuadorian economy. And yet, when the 2021 elections came, he was democratically elected. It would seem that something is failing in Ecuadorian society.

Memory failed in the face of immense power of the media and economic elites. There were also mistakes on our part. We must amend the relationship many different sectors of voters, such as indigenous sectors – CONAIE or Pachakutik – but also other sectors. I think that with the pandemic things have changed a lot. If indeed Congress manages to remove Lasso0, enormous possibilities would open up at a time when the region is once again standing up and making proposals that lead towards integration and the Patria Grande.

[Ravenlocke]

“Citizens are concerned because it remains unclear how Lasso will define who the Terrorists sure”

https://twitter.com/telesurenglish/status/1654194060318462002

1654194060318462002

[Ravenlocke]

https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Lasso-Authorizes-Anti-Terrorist-Military-Operations-in-Ecuador-20230504-0012.html

Lasso's Anti-Terrorist Operations Raise Concern in Ecuador

On Wednesday, President Guillermo Lasso signed a decree allowing the Armed Forces to carry out military operations throughout Ecuadorian territory "to confront and counter terrorist organizations and individuals."

This decision was announced as part of a strategy that tries to put an end to the increasing number of violent acts, murders, robberies, and assaults that Ecuador has experienced since Lasso came to power in 2021.

The decree establishes that the military operations are aimed at guaranteeing sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as the full validity of the rule of law. It also sets that these operations must respect both "international instruments" and domestic laws.

Within the current strategy, the Armed Forces Joint Command must coordinate with the National Police and initiate actions "to repress the terrorist threat with all the means at its disposal."

The tweet reads, "Military operation to search weapons and explosives at the Trolleybus station south of Quito. This is in compliance with Decree 730 issued by President Guillermo Lasso yesterday."

Lasso also ordered that the institution in charge of the prisons provide for the security of soldiers and agents who could be "subjected to criminal legal proceedings" for participating in the anti-terrorist operations.

The Ecuadorian president commissioned the Finance Ministry to provide the Armed Forces and the Police with all the necessary resources to fulfill the entrusted mission. Citizen reactions to the de facto militarization of the country did not wait.

Progressive politicians, human rights advocates and intellectuals expressed concern about the ongoing "strategy" because, in practical terms, it is not clear how the Lasso administration will define who "terrorists" are.

In recent days, the Ecuadorian far-right spokesmen accused the Indigenous movement of "harboring terrorists and possessing paramilitary forces."

These baseless accusations and the decree occur at a time when Congress will have to decide whether President Lasso is subject to impeachment in a highly publicized corruption case, in which his brother-in-law and the Albanian mafia are apparently involved.

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/telesurenglish/status/1658514147389079557

1658514147389079557

[Ravenlocke]

Text:

Tomorrow, after just over 90 years, a President of the Republic is impeached.

The impeachment trial against Guillermo Lasso has gone through several stages and is now reaching the plenary session of the National Assembly so that the 137 members of the assembly can deliberate on the political responsibility of the President linked to the constitutional infringement of embezzlement.

The session will have the following dynamics:

➡️ Intervention of the two questioning assembly members:
@VivianaVeloz18
and
@etorrescobo
, up to a maximum of two hours.

➡️ Intervention of
@LassoGuillermo
up to a maximum of three hours.

➡️ Reply and counter-reply of the parties for up to one hour each.

➡️ Departure of the President of the Republic.

➡️ Parliamentary debate where all assembly members can intervene for 10 minutes without the right to reply.

➡️ Closed the debate, there will be a 72-hour wait for the vote, so if the debate extends until Wednesday, May 17, legislators would vote on Saturday, May 20.

It is true that it will be difficult for legislators to limit themselves solely to embezzlement in their dissertations. Surely we will see the legislators and the President of the Republic say everything that they have not said.

💡Control of the
@CorteConstEcu
? I only allow myself to recall that the same Court said in its opinion that they were not going to interfere in the process of determining political responsibility. This process ends with the dismissal or acquittal of Guillermo Lasso.

https://twitter.com/NestorToroH/status/1658239830617210884

1658239830617210884

¤=[Post Update]=¤

Text translation:
Someone has to give an explanation
@CapiZapataEC

@PacoMoncayo
, why did they install cell signal inhibitors, thus making it difficult for the press to cover the Assembly and for the rest of the citizens who work there to communicate?

https://twitter.com/alexismoncayo/status/1658527689299329032

1658527689299329032

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/ElenaDeQuito/status/1658492116064952320?s=20

Text Translation:

Meanwhile, outside the Assembly, citizens express their rejection of President Guillermo Lasso. They demand his removal.

https://twitter.com/ElenaDeQuito/status/1658521619080282127
1658521619080282127


https://twitter.com/ElenaDeQuito/status/1658492116064952320

1658492116064952320

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/anadoluagency/status/1658876302005350400

1658876302005350400

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/ecuadorian-president-dissolves-congress-calls-for-new-elections/2899707

Ecuadorian president dissolves Congress, calls for new elections

BOGOTA

Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso announced Wednesday that he is dissolving Congress one day after his impeachment trial began.

He said he will rule by decree until elections are held.

"I have decided to apply Article 148 of the Constitution, which grants me the power to dissolve the National Assembly due to a serious political crisis and internal commotion, for which I have signed Executive Decree No. 741. In addition, I have requested the CNE to immediately call for legislative and presidential elections," Lasso said on national television.

The president's decision, known as the "cross-death," allows his to dissolve the National Assembly if he considers it is hindering his ability to govern.

"The attack on the actions of this Government has no limits. They have activated 14 political trials to generate instability in the Cabinet and hinder the work of the government. This is not an audit, it is a constant obstruction that has generated political crisis and internal commotion," he said.

​​”Ecuadorians: this is the best decision to give a constitutional solution to the political crisis and internal commotion that Ecuador is enduring and to give back to the Ecuadorian people the power to decide their future in the next elections,” he added.

The opposition-dominated National Assembly began an impeachment trial Tuesday against Lasso.

He is accused of having been aware that his close associates were involved in a corruption scheme involving stealing funds from state companies. Lasso has denied the accusation.

Removing the president requires the votes of at least two-thirds of Congress, or 92 of the 137 lawmakers. The National Assembly adjourned late Tuesday without reaching a vote.

Ecuador's electoral body must decide the date for elections within seven days after the dissolution of the National Assembly.la

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/telesurenglish/status/1658882571441430532

1658882571441430532

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/telesurenglish/status/1658876279767306243
1658876279767306243

Ecuador Has the Opportunity to Get Rid of Lasso, Correa Says

On Wednesday, former President Rafael Correa commented on the political events taking place in Ecuador, where President Guillermo Lasso dissolved the National Assembly and called early general elections.

"What Lasso is doing is illegal. Obviously there is no 'internal commotion'. He simply could not buy enough legislators to save himself from impeachment," said the leader of the Citizen Revolution, the largest leftist political movement in this South American country.

"In any case, this is a great opportunity to get rid of Lasso, his government and his legislators for rent. It is an opportunity to recover the homeland," Correa said.

"His decision is an escape valve for the crisis. It will allow a new government to be elected in peace and democracy... People will have the opportunity to vote, which lowers tensions."

On Wednesday morning, Lasso informed the nation of his decision to dissolve the National Assembly, whose legislators initiated an impeachment against him yesterday, accusing him of being related to a corruption scandal in the Ecuadorian Oil Fleet ( FLOPEC).

Invoking the Constitution's article 148, he prevented himself from being removed from office, which could have happened no later than Saturday.

He will be able to govern by decree for six months without parliamentary controls. This possibility does not mean, however, that Lasso can do anything, at least in principle.

"Decrees are not laws but rather operational norms that allow the implementation of what the law establishes. There is only one exception to this principle: the 'Urgent Economic Decree-Act.' However, its issuance is subject to control by the Constitutional Court," explained Rommel Jurado, a constitutional lawyer.

"The next National Assembly will be able to review all the decree-acts that Lasso issues in these months. The next president will also be able to review and repeal all his regular decrees," the Central University of Ecuador professor pointed out.

[Ravenlocke]

Text:

The hypocrisy is impossible to overstate: Peru's coup regime overthrew elected left-wing President Pedro Castillo, after he cited the constitution to call for new elections and temporarily dissolve the unpopular congress (with 7% approval), which blatantly plotted a coup against him.

Peru's unelected coup regime has since refused to hold elections, and has massacred 60+ pro-democracy protesters.

But Peru's coup regime is now publicly supporting Ecuador's right-wing multimillionaire President Guillermo Lasso, after he undemocratically dissolved the parliament in order to prevent it from investigating his corruption and his close links to organized crime.

Lasso is doing precisely what Castillo was falsely accused of -- and the Peruvian (and Ecuadorian) right is applauding him! Because when right-wing banker oligarchs dissolve parliament, they're suddenly "defending democracy".

https://twitter.com/BenjaminNorton/status/1658893853594726401

1658893853594726401

[Bill Ryan]

https://twitter.com/telesurenglish/status/1658882571441430532

1658882571441430532I'll try to explain what's happened here. :)

President Lasso, threatened with looming impeachment, has invoked a never-before-deployed article of the Ecuadorian written constitution. He dissolved parliament (citing a "national emergency"), and announced new elections within 6 months. And today, he stated that he would not be running himself for re-election.

(So basically, he's found an obscure way to wriggle out of damning ignominy and scandal, has made a successful play to be remembered in history for "doing the honorable democratic thing", and is sidestepping being president for a further term because all this would surely start all over again.)

It's al rather arcane, but for anyone who is very interested, some of this can be read here (https://cuencahighlife.com/lasso-says-he-will-not-seek-reelection/) in quite some detail.

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/BenjaminNorton/status/1659972511457505284

1659972511457505284

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/KawsachunNews/status/1658968853563539459

1658968853563539459

https://twitter.com/KawsachunNews/status/1658971009087676416

1658971009087676416

https://twitter.com/KawsachunNews/status/1658974347636219906

1658974347636219906

https://twitter.com/KawsachunNews/status/1658993083072102403

1658993083072102403

[onawah]

Ecuador and 11 other developing countries in crippling debt to China


The China Show
217K subscribers
26,247 views
Streamed live 5/19/23
From 1 hour 31 minutes into the video, an excellent segment about how developing countries including Laos, Angola, Pakistan, Ecuador, Mozambique, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Ethiopia, Zambia, Congo, Uganda, and Kenya are now in crippling debt to the CCP for cheap, faulty, collapsing infrastructure that China has built in their countries.
And now those countries cannot pay back the debts for the faulty China-built infrastructure, leaving them in much worse condition than they were before.


2Mnhf2eErBI

[Ravenlocke]

Six lawsuits were filed against executive degree 741, Cross Death, were rejected, elections August 20, first round.

https://twitter.com/telesurenglish/status/1659569640085811203

1659569640085811203

[Ravenlocke]

https://www.ecuadortimes.net/the-united-states-and-china-could-throw-a-lifeline-to-ecuador/

The United States and China could throw a lifeline to Ecuador
The mutual death changes the outlook for Ecuador in terms of access to external credit, with a view to financing the 2023 Budget and State investments.

The mutual death decreed by President Guillermo Lasso will have effects on access to external credit to finance the Ecuadorian Budget, in a scenario of falling oil prices.

The Ministry of Finance needs an oil price of USD 65 per barrel to finance the 2023 Budget, but from January to April the price of Ecuadorian crude was USD 64.5.

The Ministry of Finance expected oil revenues of USD 1,224 million in the first four months of 2023, but received half: USD 607 million.

It is not the only challenge facing the Government. Ecuador needs USD 200 million to address the damage caused by the winter, which already leaves 90,879 homeless.

To pay for the winter damage and offset the drop in oil prices, the Ministry of Finance estimates that it must secure an additional USD 1 billion in external credit lines.

The deficit is manageable

With a country risk of 1,832 points, Ecuador has closed the doors of the international debt issuance market.

If the country were to issue new foreign debt bonds, it would have to pay an interest rate of more than 20% per year to offset the risk for buyers of the bonds.

This is almost five times more than the 4.98% annual rate on loans with multilateral organizations such as the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

And now, in the midst of a scenario of political uncertainty, the multilaterals may be more cautious when it comes to approving and disbursing credits for Ecuador, says Alejandro Arreaza, an economist at the British bank Barclays.

At the beginning of 2023, Ecuador budgeted credits from multilateral organizations for USD 3,066 million, but the Ministry of Finance has cut that forecast to USD 1,291 million.

Until April, the multilaterals had already disbursed USD 194 million for Ecuador.

Even the IMF will want to have a clearer political outlook before considering a new credit for Ecuador, adds Arreaza.

Ecuador successfully completed a credit program with the IMF in December 2021 and could access a financing line to deal with natural catastrophes, which does not imply negotiating a new program.

China and the United States

Despite the cash pressures for the State Budget, Arreaza believes that there are options to manage them.

“Fiscal risks for Ecuador may come more from fluctuations in the price of oil than from political instability,” he says.

And he adds that the fiscal deficit or the gap between income and expenses in 2023 is manageable.

According to budget execution, the Ministry of Finance expects to end the year with a deficit close to USD 2.9 billion, which represents 2.5% of GDP.

However, due to the fall in the price of oil, the deficit could increase to USD 4,000 million, according to the former Minister of Finance, Fausto Ortiz.

This could result in the government ending up accumulating arrears with its suppliers at the end of the year, adds Ortiz.

To close the fiscal gap, Arreaza says that one option is the placement of internal debt bonds.

On the other hand, Ecuador has the doors open to seek credit in China, and the government of Guillermo Lasso has received the explicit support of the United States, which could facilitate the achievement of a new line of credit with the IMF.

In President Lasso’s remaining six months of government, the administration could choose to invest heavily in road works, which can boost the economy and employment.

[onawah]

More about how developing countries including Laos, Angola, Pakistan, Ecuador, Mozambique, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Ethiopia, Zambia, Congo, Uganda, and Kenya are now in crippling debt to the CCP for cheap, faulty, collapsing infrastructure that China has built in their countries.
And now those countries cannot pay back the debts for the faulty China-built infrastructure, leaving them in much worse condition than they were before.
It's not that the CCP doesn't care about whether the structures they are building in other countries are durable--the structures in China are probably even worse--buildings crumble to the ground regularly as building codes are practically non-existent.

https://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?111363-Turmoil-in-China&p=1558795&viewfull=1#post1558795

And here: (lots of info about Ecuador's particular dilemma in this video)
1fsQHQ4y538

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/telesurenglish/status/1662125682275545088

1662125682275545088

https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Six-Citizens-Are-Running-for-the-Ecuadorean-Presidency-So-Far-20230526-0008.html?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=socialnetwork

Six Citizens Are Running for the Ecuadorean Presidency So Far

This week, the National Electoral Council (CNE) announced that Ecuadorians will go to vote in presidential and parliamentary elections on August 20. Although no candidacy has been made official before the CNE, six citizens publicly expressed their intention to run for the presidency.

On Thursday, the Expanded Council of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) nominated Leonidas Iza as its presidential candidate. He led the massive protests that put President Guillermo Lasso in check in 2022.

So far, however, his candidacy has not been endorsed by the Pachakutik Plurinational Unity Movement, which has traditionally acted as the CONAIE's electoral organization.

Previously, Yaku Perez, who received the support of the CONAIE and Pachakutik in the 2021 elections, also launched his candidacy under the auspices of "We are Water," "Democracy Yes," and Popular Unity, three organizations that define themselves as "progressive."

On the side of openly conservative political positions, four candidates seek to reach the Presidency of the Republic. One of them is Fernando Villavicencio, who acted as an important political ally of Lasso from the National Assembly, which is currently dissolved.

The unexpected candidate who appears as an apolitical "outsider" is Jan Topic. This security entrepreneur and economist presents himself as a sniper who fought in "multiple countries around the world," among which he mentioned Ukraine and Syria.

A third candidate is Otto Sonnenholzner, who served as Vice President from December 2018 to July 2020, that is, during President Lenin Moreno's administration (2017-2021).

At the height of the pandemic, he resigned amid corruption scandals and accusations of inefficient management, evidenced by scenes of corpses on the streets of Guayaquil.

Finally, Daniel Noboa also announced his interest in becoming president. He is the son of Alvaro Noboa, a billionaire banana businessman who unsuccessfully tried to become president on more than 3 occasions during the last decades.

If none of the presidential candidates achieves the majority of votes on August 20, the electoral authorities will call a second round on October 15, when the two candidates with the most votes will compete for the presidency.

The new legislators, the president, and the vice president will remain in their positions until May 24, 2025.

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/telesurenglish/status/1664643892308852740

1664643892308852740

https://twitter.com/telesurenglish/status/1664637704431124482

1664637704431124482

https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Hitmen-Assassinate-Duran-City-Prosecutor-in-Ecuador-20230602-0008.html?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=socialnetwork

Hitmen Assassinate Duran City Prosecutor in Ecuador

On Thursday, the Ecuadorian Attorney General's Office confirmed the death of Prosecutor Leonardo Palacios in Duran, a neighboring city of Guayaquil, which is one of the areas most affected by crime and insecurity since Guillermo Lasso became president in 2021.

According to the first investigations, Palacios and his secretary were shot at by unknown persons when they were driving a vehicle a few blocks from his office.

Officials of the Attorney General's Office arrived at the site of the attack to begin investigations and find the culprits. At the crime scene, police officers found more than 40 bullets.

Meanwhile, army soldiers and police officers carried out a joint operation to try to locate and surround the hitmen.

The tweet reads, "Sicarios assassinated Duran Prosecutor Leonardo Palacios. The attackers fired from a motorcycle as the officer was returning home."

"Over 10 hours have passed since Palacios assassination... President Guillermo Lasso, however, has not said a single word on social networks," journalist Alexis Moncayo said, highlighting the inability of his administration to react to the prevailing violence in Ecuador.

After the attack, the prosecutor's vehicle, whose windshield was perforated by multiple bullet holes, was left stranded in the middle of Rodas street, a few meters from a judicial office.

Despite witnesses' attempts to help the victims, the prosecutor died instantly. The secretariat survived the attack and tried to help Palacios, who had no vital signs, newspaper El Universo reported, noting that the police arrived at the crime scene half an hour after the events.

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/telesurenglish/status/1666267976171941891
1666267976171941891

[Bill Ryan]

https://twitter.com/telesurenglish/status/1666267976171941891
1666267976171941891Yes, and that surprised me. Where I am (150 miles to the south, well inland, and 9,000 ft up in the mountains), there aren't any of these problems at all. Compared with the last extreme couple of rainy seasons*, this one has all been pretty normal.
* Just two 6 month seasons here on the equator: :thumbsup:
• Rainy season = Jan—June
• Dry season = July—December.
However, we've been told that El Niño is going to disrupt everything again, and the Ecuador Weather Service has warned of both droughts and floods to come, particularly in coastal areas. In other words, more extremes.

[Ravenlocke]

Text:
Ecuador has elections coming up in August, and the candidates for the leftist Citizens' Revolution, founded by former President Rafael Correa, have been announced:

For president, Luisa González, a former National Assembly member

For VP, Andrés Arauz, an anti-neoliberal economist who is a strong advocate for creating a new regional currency for Latin America

Arauz was the presidential candidate in the last election, and won the first round, but narrowly lost the second round.

If the election is fair, they are likely to win, and Ecuador will be moving back to the left, rejoining the project of regional integration.

https://twitter.com/BenjaminNorton/status/1667681655903985664

1667681655903985664

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/TheGrayzoneNews/status/1671029896858959874

1671029896858959874


Facing impeachment, neoliberal Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso pulled the trigger on a political reset. Lasso has effectively declared one man rule until new elections are held on August 20. His move has ignited the anger of the social organizations that led a country-wide revolt last year.

So who is running in Ecuador's upcoming elections? Which ones are catering to Washington, and do any plan to bring change to the neoliberal system that has prevailed for the past five years?

||| The Grayzone |||


“An alliance was formed by the elite, directed from behind the scenes by the neoliberal sector, a sector most closely linked to Banking
aiming to govern Ecuador working in an alliance with the media, the big media, armed forces, the police and some big sectors”


HSQgpezBdAE

[Szymon]

These types of reports are just coming in.

https://twitter.com/EricSpracklen/status/1689433497444720640

Post Update:


El Pais reported:

The candidate for the presidency of Ecuador Fernando Villavicencio was shot to death this Wednesday afternoon after participating in a campaign event in Quito. The attack occurred in a school in the capital from which the applicant came. Villavicencio, whom most polls placed in fourth or fifth position among the opponents who will dispute the succession of Guillermo Lasso on August 20, presented himself as a battering ram against corruption under the slogan It’s time for the brave.

The 59-year-old politician was a member of the Assembly until its dissolution and chaired the audit commission. He was criticized for his actions in the impeachment process against Lasso, because that commission issued a report favorable to the president that did not have the support of other legislators. The attack occurs when there are 11 days to go before the elections in a country asphyxiated by an unprecedented crisis. During the campaign, the mayor of Manta, a key port for drug trafficking, and a candidate for the Assembly have been assassinated.

This is a breaking story…please check back for updates.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/08/developing-ecuadorian-presidential-candidate-fernando-villavicencio-assassinated-campaign/

[ExomatrixTV]

6lFhh19PiK0
Fernando Alcibiades Villavicencio Valencia (11 October 1963 – 9 August 2023) was an Ecuadorian politician, trade unionist and journalist who ran for president of Ecuador (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Ecuador) in the 2023 general election (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Ecuadorian_general_election). He served as a member of the National Assembly (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Assembly_(Ecuador)) from 2021 until the dissolution of the legislative body (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Ecuadorian_political_crisis) on 17 May 2023.

Prior to his political career, he was an investigative journalist covering corruption and violence in Ecuador. A critic of former President Rafael Correa (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafael_Correa), Villavicencio was in exile in Peru after legal issues following his public critiques of the Correa administration.[1] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Villavicencio#cite_note-arrest-1) He spent several months imprisoned until all charges were dropped in February 2018.[2] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Villavicencio#cite_note-innocent-2)

Having unsuccessfully run for the National Assembly in 2017 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Ecuadorian_general_election), Villavicencio was elected in 2021 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Ecuadorian_general_election), representing the national constituency. In May 2023, he announced his presidential candidacy for that year's general election.

Villavicencio was assassinated on 9 August 2023 following a campaign rally in Quito.


en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Villavicencio (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Villavicencio)

[Bill Ryan]

An English-language report from Ecuador, just published:


https://cuencahighlife.com/presidential-candidate-fernando-villavicencio-is-assassinated-in-quito

National elections will go on as planned following assassination of presidential candidate Villavicencio

https://cuencahighlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/assassination.png

Presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was murdered late Wednesday afternoon as he left a political rally in Quito. According to police, Villavicencio died from three gunshots to the head as he entered a car following the rally at Colegio Anderson in a northern suburb. Witnesses say several security guards were around the candidate when the gunman approached the car and began firing.

A vocal advocate against organized crime and government corruption, Villavicencio had received numerous threats on his life in recent weeks as he outlined his plan to combat drug gangs and government officials who protect them.

According to political polls, Villavicencio was contending for second place and a spot in a likely runoff election with the leader, Luisa Gonzalez of Citizens Revolution. Considered a political centrist, Villavicencio represented the Construye 25 Alliance. Other candidates vying for second position in the election are former vice president Otto Sonnenholzner and Cuenca environmental attorney Yaku Pérez.

Following an emergency meeting with his cabinet and members of the National Electoral Council, President Guillermo Lasso announced that the August 20 national election will proceed as scheduled. The president declared three days of national mourning and a 60-day state of emergency. He also said that ceremonies commemorating Ecuador’s First Cry of Independence holiday on Friday have been suspended.

“Let there be no mistake, this is a political crime and terrorist act aimed at sabotaging our electoral process,” Lasso said. “Those responsible will be arrested and prosecuted.” He added that “large numbers” of police and military personnel will be assigned to protecting the candidates and their rallies through the remainder of the campaign.

https://cuencahighlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/fernando.pngSupporters of Fernando Villavicencio gathered Wednesday night at the government building on Parque Calderon in Cuenca following the candidate’s assassination. Other rallies were held in Quito, Riobamba and Guayaquil.

At midnight Wednesday, National Police said they had arrested six men involved in the assassination. One of the suspects was shot in an exchange of gunfire with police and died after he was taken to the prosecutor’s office. A police spokesman who asked not to be named, said the gunmen were operating on orders from criminal gang leaders and represented only the “tip of the iceberg.”

In addition to Villavicencio, at least nine others, including two policemen and a candidate for the National Assembly, were hit by gunfire in the attack, the Quito police command said. Names of the victims or their conditions were not announced as of early Thursday morning.

All seven of Villavicencio’s election opponents issued statements of condolence following the murder, most saying they will temporarily suspend their campaigns.

Villavicencio, 59, was born in Alausí, 50 miles north of Cuenca, but grew up and was educated in Quito. He began his career as a union leader for workers of Petroecuador, later becoming an investigative reporter for several newspapers and websites.

During the presidency of Rafael Correa, Villavicencio accused Correa of “reckless disregard for human life” for ordering a 2010 military assault on a police hospital in Quito. In response, Correa sued Villavicencio for slander and won, the judgement imposing an 18-month prison sentence against Villavicencio and his friend, Dr Carlos Figueroa. The pair escaped to the Amazon town of Sarayaku, where they were protected from arrest by indigenous friends.

Villavicencio and Figueroa returned to public life when their sentence term expired and were not arrested.

[Ravenlocke]

Text:

🇪🇨 What’s known about Ecuador presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio’s assassination:

🔺 Fernando Villavicencio, a candidate in Ecuador’s upcoming presidential election, was assassinated at a campaign event in the Ecuador’s capital, Quito;

🔺 The main suspect has died of gunshot wounds received during his arrest, a total of six people have been detained in connection with the crime;

🔺 The number of those injured at Villavicencio's campaign rally has risen to nine people, the Ecuadorian Prosecutor General's Office said;

🔺 Several offices of the slain candidate were also attacked in Quito;

🔺 Police conducted a controlled explosive detonation near the assassination site;

🔺 A friend of the assassinated politician mentioned he had received threats before the attack;

🔺 Five out of seven Ecuador's seven presidential candidates reacted to the assassination by announcing the suspension of their campaigns;

🔺 Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso has announced a state of emergency across the country for 60 days and declared 3 days of national mourning in honor of Villavicencio;

🔺 The date of the presidential election set for August 20 will not change, the National Electoral Council said;

🔺 According to the latest polls, Villavicencio did not garner enough votes to win the election;

The video shows the moment of the attack on Fernando Villavicencio

sputnik

https://twitter.com/dana916/status/1689648220027437056

1689648220027437056

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/ArthurM40330824/status/1689462667272978432

1689462667272978432

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/WarMonitors/status/1689446777282232323

1689446777282232323

[ExomatrixTV]

Dan Bongino (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Bongino) discussing the assassination of a presidential candidate Fernando Valencisa (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Villavicencio) ... >>> here (https://rumble.com/v367c4t-massive-voter-fraud-exposed-ep.-2064-08102023.html) starting at 2:52 (https://rumble.com/v367c4t-massive-voter-fraud-exposed-ep.-2064-08102023.html)

[MinImLi]

It's just what leftists do ... left, right or center is irrelevant to the establishment left ... if you disagree with the established left, you'll die & preferably in the most horrific and public manner because leftists are terrorists who need the publicity as a sort of subliminal threat to everyone else who might seek to disagree ... it's why they did Kennedy the way they did in late '63.

[ExomatrixTV]

BREAKING! Right Wing Presidential Candidate Just ASSASSINATED! State Of Emergency Declared!:

Q6P_Chbmq44

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/BenFRubinstein/status/1689798903682781184

1689798903682781184

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/AFP/status/1690025278842839040

1690025278842839040

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/FinancialTimes/status/1689989600104574976

1689989600104574976

[ExomatrixTV]

Ecuador President Candidate Assassinated Was Investigative Journalist With Julian Assange Connection:

rXvPBb31mSw
@agnimirindu7388 (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRdvr8bEONECOg3BUOh1whg) quote: "Ecuadorian here. Villavicencio was an old school leftists and environmentalist. He was the only candidate calling out the corruption in the government and the drug cartel money in the socialists party. The media labeled him "right wing" because all his enemies were narco commies. My whole family is mourning for him, because those of us that know, considered him the last hope we had to save the country. He was fearless and truly a man of justice. Rest in Peace Patriot!" unquote

[grapevine]

Is everything OK where you are Bill? The current situation in Ecuador was on the BBC main news today and showed a lot of men in their underwear lying on the ground handcuffed, while surrounded by armed police/military. This action had been sanctioned by Guillermo Lasso following the assassination of Fernando Villavicencio and killing of city mayor Agustín Intriago two weeks ago.

As events seem to be hotting up in Ecuador, just wondered whether you have a Plan B if circumstances should change and the environment became unsafe; ie. could you get out quickly in an emergency?

[Bill Ryan]

Is everything OK where you are Bill? The current situation in Ecuador was on the BBC main news today and showed a lot of men in their underwear lying on the ground handcuffed, while surrounded by armed police/military. This action had been sanctioned by Guillermo Lasso following the assassination of Fernando Villavicencio and killing of city mayor Agustín Intriago two weeks ago.

As events seem to be hotting up in Ecuador, just wondered whether you have a Plan B if circumstances should change and the environment became unsafe; ie. could you get out quickly in an emergency?Thanks! Yes, everything's totally 100% normal here where I am. The recent political assassination, which seems to have been carried out by a Colombian gang, was in Quito, Ecuador's capital, which is over 200 miles to the north (450 miles by road). Meanwhile, I live in a remote, secluded green little rural valley which couldn't be quieter or safer, and where I don't even get a cellphone signal.

As the BBC article (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-66490857) reports, here's gangland crime in the two big cities (Quito and Guayaquil), which are both maybe a little like Chicago in the US. But that's where all the trouble stays. :thumbsup:

:flower:

[shaberon]

Five out of seven Ecuador's seven presidential candidates reacted to the assassination by announcing the suspension of their campaigns;


Sounds like a success.

I don't trust blaming the Columbians. When you threaten the drug routes, they get rid of whoever is in the way. This sounds like a poor choice in hired assassins, because anyone would know they would be suspected first, and I guess it might work if they don't actually know the source of funds.

Even where I live, if you drive a van into Mexican territory, you will be surrounded at gunpoint, because they think you might be bringing in a rival gang.

Getting someone to do these acts is trivially easy.

When the net result is that you are left with, presumably, two non-contenders for office, then yes, it sounds a bit higher level than angry Columbians or drug turf wars.

[Ravenlocke]

https://twitter.com/FiorellaIsabelM/status/1691409707116724224

1691409707116724224

[Gwin Ru]

...

... Another Ecuadorian politician shot dead (https://swentr.site/news/581321-ecuador-political-murders-briones/)

RT
15 Aug, 2023 17:32
Home (https://swentr.site/)World News (https://swentr.site/news/)

Pedro Briones is the third lawmaker to have been killed in the South American country in the past month


https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2023.08/xxs/64dbb65d85f54074342e3735.png
Soldiers stand guard outside Ecuador TV headquarters before a presidential debate in Quito, on August 13, 2023 © Rodrigo Buendia / AFP


Ecuadorian Local party leader Pedro Briones was shot dead by gunmen at his home in the northern Esmeraldas province on Monday, in what appears to be the latest in a string of politically motivated assassinations in the country.

The fatal shooting of Briones came just five days after presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was murdered in broad daylight in the capital Quito last Wednesday. Villavicencio, an outspoken opponent of rising levels of organized crime and corruption in the country, was polling third ahead of Sunday’s snap presidential election.

Luisa Gonzalez, a frontrunner in the August 20 election for the Citizen Revolution party, of which Briones was also a member, claimed on social media that “Ecuador is experiencing its bloodiest era,” before offering “A heartfelt hug to the family of colleague Pedro Briones, fallen by the hands of violence.”

Gonzalez told the Associated Press that she had beefed up her own security detail following the assassinations, but refused to wear a bulletproof vest. “I have faith in God,” she said. “He is the one who takes care of us.”

Former Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa, founder of the Citizen Revolution party, added: “They murdered another of our colleagues in Esmeraldas. Enough is enough!”

Authorities did not elaborate on the specific circumstances of Briones’ murder, but local media reported that he was shot dead by gunmen who later fled on a motorcycle.

Esmeraldas province, situated on Ecuador’s border with Colombia, has been one of the worst-affected regions for violence in the country, as its location on the Pacific coast makes it an attractive location from which to traffic drugs, particularly cocaine, to the United States and Europe.

On July 26, Augustin Intriago, mayor of Ecuador’s third-largest city Manta, was also fatally shot just weeks after his re-election in May.

Waves of increasing drug-related violence have led to thousands of deaths in Ecuador in the past three years as local gangs, aided by cartels from Colombia and Mexico, battled for influence and control of the streets and drug-trafficking routes. Policies designed to reduce drug-related violence have dominated the narrative ahead of this weekend’s elections.

On Saturday, prison authorities relocated the leader of one of Ecuador’s most powerful gangs, Los Choneros, into a maximum security facility. Villavicencio had previously accused the group’s leader, Adolfo Macias, known as ‘Fito’, of links to Mexico’s powerful Sinaloa drug cartel – and said that he had received threats to his life from the group just days before his assassination.

Related:


Six arrested over presidential candidate’s assassination (https://swentr.site/news/581131-six-arrested-ecuador-assassination/)

[shaberon]

Oh.

Need to modify my view:

Ecuador is so small, anyone running for office is getting in the way of the cartels.

No high-level international intrigue is necessary.

I can think of ways to reduce the fortunes that go into the hands of cocaine smugglers, which would not be a War on Drugs, which is indeed the type of thing that seems to keep going on. Maybe something closer to the Portuguese model.

[shaberon]

This seems to be telling me that the country named for the Equator is really the Doormat of Colombia (https://sputnikglobe.com/20230825/spanish-police-seize-record-95-tonnes-of-cocaine-coming-from-ecuador-1112890279.html):




The Spanish National Police said on Friday they seized 9.5 tonnes of cocaine hidden in banana crates coming from Ecuador, in what became the largest intercepted illicit drug shipment in Spain's history.

"In the course of a joint operation with the Customs Surveillance Service, agents of the National Police have seized the largest amount of cocaine in Spanish history in the port of Algeciras. Almost 9.5 tonnes of the narcotic substance were seized. The cocaine was hidden inside banana crates stored in a refrigerated maritime container originating from Ecuador," the law enforcement said in a statement.

Inside the shipment, the police discovered over 30 different insignia of various European criminal groups who were the cargo's addressees, the police said. The group responsible for the cocaine shipment is believed to have an extensive business network for shipping sea containers from Ecuador to Spain.

"The operation has dealt an unprecedented blow to one of the most important global criminal organizations, which has been trafficking cocaine to major criminal networks across Europe," the statement read.

The investigation found that the organization had operated through an international banana supplier based in the Ecuadorian city of Machala. The company has been sending about 40 crates per month addressed to various European companies.

In early July, the Civil Guard of Spain, in cooperation with the United Kingdom's police, busted an operation of a drug trafficking network, detaining nine UK citizens in the process.



That's a lot.

Do the math and tell me how much

a) kerosene

b) gasoline, and

c) ether


are required to make that batch.

Then let's review. This was an over-the-counter product until ______________.

Chances are that all of the best workers are in the cartels.

They're just being opportunistic. It's not their native coca leaf. It requires a western chemical, petroleum distillate, to manufacture a product that would not have much more value than aspirin, unless there was such a big western black market, and, in the case of Ecuador, the Panama Canal..

Middle Eastern hashish at least has a cultural legacy and inherent value.

Sounds to me like this is what really runs Ecuador, making the chances of it arising as an independent, viable entity close to zero.

Having missed whatever remained of the election, it seems that the noise has died down in the wake of voices of potential dissent being dead.

[Johnnycomelately]

Oct. 15 scheduled elections, just got a bit more intriguing.


Oct. 7 (UPI) -- Six accused hitmen being held in prison for the August assassination of an Ecuadorian presidential candidate were found dead inside their cells, authorities have confirmed.

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2023/10/07/ecuador-colombian-hitmen-killed-prison-hitmen-fernando-villavicencio/5221696705473/

And another report, with more detail:

https://efe.com/en/latest-news/2023-10-07/six-suspects-held-over-murder-of-ecuador-presidential-candidate-slain-in-prison/


Quito, Oct 6 (EFE).- Six Colombians accused of involvement in the murder of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio were killed in prison on Friday, according to authorities.

*pic + caption*

The state prisons agency SNAI confirmed the identities of the bodies after the Prosecutor’s Office and police entered Litoral Penitentiary, the largest prison in Ecuador, to collect them.

The six men were suspected of involvement in the murder of Villavicencio in August as he left a campaign rally, along with a seventh Colombian who was shot by security at the scene and later died.

The inmates’ deaths come days after the United States government offered a reward of up to $5 million for anyone providing information leading to the arrest of masterminds behind Villavicencio’s murder.

The inmates were in pavilion seven of the Guayaquil prison, officially called Guayas Deprivation of Liberty Center Number 1, which has a dozen pavilions controlled by various criminal gangs and hold some 5,700 people.

Citizen platform SOS Cárceles Ecuador reported that the six Colombians had requested a transfer to a more secure prison days ago, which was denied.

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/AJEnglish/status/1715554347101372837

1715554347101372837

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/21/he-is-ecuadors-youngest-president-elect-what-lies-ahead-for-daniel-noboa

He is Ecuador’s youngest president-elect. What lies ahead for Daniel Noboa?

Noboa, heir to a banana industry fortune, faces rising crime with little political backing and an abbreviated term in office.

Quito, Ecuador – Night had already fallen, and all the shops were closed on the Avenue of the Shyris, a main thoroughfare in the heart of Quito, Ecuador.

But part of the street was nevertheless packed last Sunday, as supporters of Daniel Noboa converged on the bleachers outside La Carolina Park to celebrate his victory over leftist Luisa Gonzalez in the 2023 presidential race.

“This is a triumph for the youngest,” Maria Paz, 25, told Al Jazeera as she joined the revellers on the avenue.

At age 35, Noboa is set to become Ecuador’s youngest elected president, and during his campaign, he appealed to the country’s relatively young electorate. Nearly a fourth of all eligible voters are between ages 18 and 29.

But Noboa faces an uphill battle as he prepares to take over the Palacio de Carondelet, Ecuador’s presidential palace.

Faced with an abbreviated 18-month term in office, Noboa has little time — and little political backing — with which to address some of Ecuador’s most pressing problems.

And the stakes are high. Ecuador’s economy is still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, and crime has shot upwards, threading the population with fear.

But voters like Paz are optimistic. When she heard the election-night results, she rushed to the avenue with a life-sized cardboard cutout of the president-elect in tow. “Now I expect jobs to come and organised crime to leave my country,” she said.

So many issues, so little time

The circumstances of Noboa’s election are historic. In May, confronted with possible impeachment, current President Guillermo Lasso invoked a never-before-used constitutional mechanism known as “muerte cruzada” or “two-way death”.

That allowed him to dissolve the National Assembly — at the expense of ending his own presidency. Lasso had 90 days to call a new election.

Americas Coverage Newsletter


The “two-way death” also limited how long Lasso’s successor could serve in office. Normally, a full presidential term is four years. But under “two-way death”, Lasso’s successor can only serve out the remainder of his term: 18 months.

That means Ecuadorians will once again go to the ballot box in May 2025, barely a year and a half after Noboa is sworn in.

The brevity of that mandate puts pressure on Noboa to act — and act fast.

“He must deal with the insecurity. To some extent, he should promote public health, support the most impoverished sectors, and grant opportunities for higher education,” Santiago Basabe, the director of the Ecuadorian Association of Political Science, told Al Jazeera.

“Other than that, I don’t think he can do much more in this given time.”

Governing with a fragmented assembly

According to Basabe, Noboa is the first head of state since 1979 to come to power without the endorsement of a formal political party.

The heir to one of Ecuador’s wealthiest families, which made its fortune in banana exports, Noboa is a relative newcomer to national politics. He was first elected to the National Assembly in 2021, and he was in the midst of his inaugural term when the legislature was dissolved.

As a freshman assembly member, Noboa had not yet risen in the ranks of an existing political party nor formed a robust political movement.

So he relied on the backing of two existing parties to support his bid for the presidency: a group called People, Equality and Democracy (PID), plus the Revolutionary and Democratic Ethical Green Movement (MOVER).

Together with Noboa’s own movement, they formed a coalition called the National Democratic Alliance (ADN). But each party still maintains its independence. Neither PID nor MOVER is formally led by Noboa.

In addition, Noboa must also deal with a fragmented National Assembly. Since new legislative elections were held in August, no single political group holds an overall majority.

Of the 137 seats in the assembly, Noboa’s ADN coalition secured approximately 14 seats, compared with about 52 for the Citizen Revolution Movement, the party of Gonzalez, his presidential rival.

Neither total is enough to lead the assembly without additional votes from outside parties.

“Pragmatism must be his northern star,” Basabe said. He believes that Noboa should avoid engaging with the National Assembly as much as possible, focusing instead on what he can do through executive action.

“Buying new gear for the security forces doesn’t need authorisation from the National Assembly. He only needs to devote some budget to it and have the political will to push it forward,” Basabe explained.

Fears of a ‘Lasso 2.0’

Noboa also faces suspicion that he is part of a political trend rightward that began with Lasso.

The outgoing president was the country’s first elected conservative leader in nearly two decades. Like Noboa, Lasso was a businessman before his career in politics, having led a prominent bank.

In the lead-up to Sunday’s run-off race, Gonzalez and the Citizen Revolution Movement sought to link the two men, framing Noboa as a continuation of the rightward lurch Lasso began.

Critics pointed to his running mate Verónica Abad as evidence of that political leaning. A right-wing business coach, Abad has spoken about her desire to privatise Ecuador’s education and health services, and she has been vocal in her criticism of abortion and feminism.

But Noboa has described his views as centre-left, and analysts stress it is too soon to understand how he might govern, given his limited political history

He’s a 35-year-old kid with no real political experience, who answers to an enormous fortune. No one has a clue about what his government will be,” Basabe said.

Political analyst Arianna Tanca Macchiavello told Al Jazeera she believes fiscal and political constraints will define Noboa’s administration more than any ideology.

She explained his political campaign thus far has relied on optics, with Noboa presenting himself as neither right-wing nor left-wing.

“Noboa might need to leap from political marketing to governing,” Tanca said.

Both Basabe and Tanca indicated that Noboa’s choice of cabinet members would be an opportunity for the president-elect to establish his administration as distinct from Lasso’s. But Basabe warned that, if Noboa enlists only wealthy advisers and establishment figures, he would risk outraging the public.

“His cabinet should smell of diversity and taste like renovation,” Basabe said.

He’s a 35-year-old kid with no real political experience, who answers to an enormous fortune. No one has a clue about what his government will be,” Basabe said.

Political analyst Arianna Tanca Macchiavello told Al Jazeera she believes fiscal and political constraints will define Noboa’s administration more than any ideology.

She explained his political campaign thus far has relied on optics, with Noboa presenting himself as neither right-wing nor left-wing.

“Noboa might need to leap from political marketing to governing,” Tanca said.

Both Basabe and Tanca indicated that Noboa’s choice of cabinet members would be an opportunity for the president-elect to establish his administration as distinct from Lasso’s. But Basabe warned that, if Noboa enlists only wealthy advisers and establishment figures, he would risk outraging the public.

“His cabinet should smell of diversity and taste like renovation,” Basabe said.

According to Luis Córdova-Alarcón, an expert in conflict and violence at the Central University of Ecuador, Lasso used a military approach to combat organised crime, with support from the US and Israel.

“But there was no political strategy to accompany it,” Córdova told Al Jazeera.

Córdova believes this militarised “war on drugs” approach leads only to more violence. He instead thinks that Noboa should set his sights on investigating money laundering, rooting out official corruption and reforming the police.

But that could be a hefty challenge for 18 months in office, Córdova said. Noboa will have his hands full during that time.

“Lowering the criminal violence, reducing corruption and achieving economic growth are all priorities for Latin America. But you can only achieve one or two of them, not all at once,” Córdova said.

As she cast her vote last Sunday, political scientist Pamela Ledesma told Al Jazeera that 18 months as president may not be enough time to enact substantial change — but it is plenty of time to lose public favour.

“I believe that the victory will veer into a punishment for whoever wins,” she said.

[onawah]

Ecuador's dilemma after accepting "help" from China, just one example of the CCP's underhanded tactics in forwarding their global dominance goals, creating debt traps and infrastructure disasters for developing countries.
(Ecuador's case starting at 4:55 minutes into the video.)
Why do such countries continue to take such "deals" from the CCP?
The answer is political corruption and bribery.

China Spreads Tofu-Dreg Constructions to the World: $15 Billion Tunnel Now a Wasteland?
China Observer
293K subscribers

"In 2013, Xi Jinping introduced the "Belt and Road Initiative" (BRI), positioning it as a central strategy for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to enhance its international influence by "spreading its wealth" around the world.
The BRI is a global infrastructure development strategy to invest in more than 150 countries and international organizations.
Recently, several major projects in Finland were exposed as incomplete, leaving behind deserted construction sites."

_JbYs6Z92pA

[mizo]

Earlier today: Gunmen storm Ecuador television studio, take hostages.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1744811367909986668
1744811367909986668

[Eric J (Viking)]

Yes just saw this on GB news…any further info?…

Horror moment armed gunmen storm Ecuador TV station and hold staff at gunpoint

https://www.gbnews.com/news/world/ecuador-armed-gunmen-storm-tv-station

Eric

[Ravenlocke]

Text translation:

🔴 #AHORA | Suspected gang members enter the National University of Ecuador, in Quito, and kidnap students and professors. Bullfights on campus are related to what happened minutes ago in the television studio.

https://x.com/mazzenilsson/status/1744818422674849876

1744818422674849876

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/NationalIndNews/status/1744820270328676713

1744820270328676713

¤=[Post Update]=¤

https://x.com/ferozwala/status/1744821126726033656

1744821126726033656

[pueblo]

More...possibly staged?

1744811367909986668

[Bill Ryan]

Wow. I never heard about any of this, but I expect there'll be much more tomorrow in the English language newsletter I receive daily. Here's what it reported (https://cuencahighlife.com/days-after-his-arrest-los-lobos-gang-leader-escapes-on-first-night-of-national-emergency/) this morning, which is doubtless the precursor to today's events:

Days after his arrest, Los Lobos gang leader escapes on first night of national emergency

Three days after he was arrested, Los Lobos gang leader has escaped from prison in Riobamba. The escape came hours after President Daniel Noboa declared a national emergency following a series of prison riots on Monday.

https://cuencahighlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/pico-jpg.webpLos Lobos gang leader Colón Pico during his Friday arrest.

According to Riobamba prison management, the prison break followed a day of disturbances in which prisoners took over two areas of the prison. Although Pico was being held in a separate area, fellow Los Lobos prisoners were able to free him. In total, 39 inmates escaped.

(... the article continues (https://cuencahighlife.com/days-after-his-arrest-los-lobos-gang-leader-escapes-on-first-night-of-national-emergency/))

[mizo]

Wow. I never heard about any of this, but I expect there'll be much more tomorrow in the English language newsletter I receive daily. Here's what it reported (https://cuencahighlife.com/days-after-his-arrest-los-lobos-gang-leader-escapes-on-first-night-of-national-emergency/) this morning, which is doubtless the precursor to today's events:

Days after his arrest, Los Lobos gang leader escapes on first night of national emergency

Three days after he was arrested, Los Lobos gang leader has escaped from prison in Riobamba. The escape came hours after President Daniel Noboa declared a national emergency following a series of prison riots on Monday.

https://cuencahighlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/pico-jpg.webpLos Lobos gang leader Colón Pico during his Friday arrest.

According to Riobamba prison management, the prison break followed a day of disturbances in which prisoners took over two areas of the prison. Although Pico was being held in a separate area, fellow Los Lobos prisoners were able to free him. In total, 39 inmates escaped.

(... the article continues (https://cuencahighlife.com/days-after-his-arrest-los-lobos-gang-leader-escapes-on-first-night-of-national-emergency/))

There's quite a bit of publc turmoil happening in various parts of Ecuador and I' ve seen some horrific clips being shown on Twitter this evening. Just want to add - Stay safe Bill !

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/MyLordBebo/status/1744841761946579290

1744841761946579290

https://x.com/baronitaigas/status/1744840661805699501

1744840661805699501

https://x.com/301military/status/1744825939551293788

1744825939551293788

https://x.com/301military/status/1744832890066633154

1744832890066633154

https://x.com/witte_sergei/status/1744842336260247911

1744842336260247911

¤=[Post Update]=¤

https://x.com/301military/status/1744842138074988780

1744842138074988780

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/djuric_zlatko/status/1744845730689196527

1744845730689196527

[Bill Ryan]

https://x.com/witte_sergei/status/1744842336260247911
1744842336260247911Here's the text of that tweet:
While everyone was tunnel posting, Ecuador slipped into a state of civil war. Reports of police being abducted and executed around the country.This (at least!) is pure dramatic nonsense. :facepalm: As best I know, several other reports are wildly exaggerated as well. Big Serge, who is a Russian blogger, has been an excellent military analyst of events in the Special Military Operation in Ukraine. But he knows little about Ecuador.

Many Twitter and Telegram channels are going to be jumping to report (and amplify!) any rumors they happen to hear. That's how social media works these days.

I'll post a detailed update tomorrow morning (maybe 12-13 hours from now) with what's actually been happening. :) Meanwhile, to offer a true flavor of what's being reported nationally, here's the translated latest update of one of the several major media platforms here.


https://elmercurio-com-ec.translate.goog/?_x_tr_sl=es&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/CensoredMen/status/1744862590746984764

1744862590746984764

https://x.com/CensoredMen/status/1744845640436174941

1744845640436174941

https://x.com/CensoredMen/status/1744844784257081495

1744844784257081495

https://x.com/CensoredMen/status/1744847661742625097

1744847661742625097

https://x.com/CensoredMen/status/1744829144414773445

1744829144414773445

¤=[Post Update]=¤




https://x.com/witte_sergei/status/1744842336260247911
1744842336260247911Here's the text of that tweet:
While everyone was tunnel posting, Ecuador slipped into a state of civil war. Reports of police being abducted and executed around the country.This (at least!) is pure dramatic nonsense. :facepalm: As best I know, several other reports are wildly exaggerated as well. Big Serge, who is a Russian blogger, has been an excellent military analyst of events in the Special Military Operation in Ukraine. But he knows little about Ecuador.

Many Twitter and Telegram channels are going to be jumping to report (and amplify!) any rumors they happen to hear. That's how social media works these days.

I'll post a detailed update tomorrow morning (maybe 12-13 hours from now) with what's actually been happening. :) Meanwhile, to offer a true flavor of what's being reported nationally, here's the translated latest update of one of the several major media platforms here.


https://elmercurio-com-ec.translate.goog/?_x_tr_sl=es&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp


The reference to civil war might be because of this?

https://x.com/CensoredMen/status/1744834351357903315

1744834351357903315

[Ravenlocke]

Two Jet Blue flights to Ecuador one from New York, one from Florida were cancelled

https://x.com/CensoredMen/status/1744837087772238159

1744837087772238159

[Lunesoleil]

My participation after the media spread the news in France
https://lunesoleil23-wordpress-com.translate.goog/2024/01/10/lequateur-et-la-nuit-de-lame/?_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=fr

[Bill Ryan]

I'll post a detailed update tomorrow morning (maybe 12-13 hours from now) with what's actually been happening. :)As promised. :thumbsup: Everything's totally peaceful, quiet and 100% normal where I am. Here are two comprehensive local articles:


https://cuencahighlife.com/calm-returns-following-noboas-shoot-to-kill-order-former-opponents-voice-support-for-government-response
https://cuencahighlife.com/noboa-elevates-national-emergency-level-following-new-violence-turi-still-controlled-by-inmates

Calm returns following Noboa’s ‘shoot to kill’ order; Former opponents voice support for government

The National Police command reported a “return of normality” for most of the country early Wednesday morning. “Most sectors did not experience elevated criminal activity overnight,” the command said in a statement. “There were several incidents in Quito and Guayaquil but these may not be connected to the criminal gang activity of Monday and Tuesday.”

https://cuencahighlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/vela-jpg.webp
Chief of Ecuador’s Joint Military Command, Jaime Vela, said deployment of the armed forces is underway.

No incidents were reported in Cuenca Tuesday or Tuesday night following the detonation of three explosive devices in garbage cans Monday night. The calm came after Cuenca Mayor Cristian Zamora and Azuay Province Prefect Juan Cristóbal complained of “public hysteria” created by rumors Tuesday afternoon. As in most of the country, schools, public offices, businesses and public transportation suspended operations early in the city.

In Tuesday night messages, most public and private offices and schools announced they would not open Wednesday and would conduct business and classes virtually.

On Tuesday afternoon, President Daniel Noboa raised the level of the national emergency following Monday’s and Tuesday’s violence. He claimed Ecuador was in a “state of internal armed conflict” and authorized the police and armed forces to “shoot to kill” gang members committing criminal acts. In his order, he named 21 criminal gangs he called “enemies of Ecuador.”
Following his orders, military personnel took to the streets in the country’s larger cities, including Cuenca.

In a news conference after Noboa’s announcement, Chief of Ecuador’s Joint Military Command, Jaime Vela, said the armed forces stood ready to “fight the terrorists.” Flanked by Government and Interior Minister Mónica Palencia, Defense Minister Giancarlo Loffredo and Public Administration Secretary Arturo Félix, Vela announced that the deployment of military personnel was underway around the country.

Vela concluded his prepared statement by exclaiming: “Vinceremos,” or “we will win.”

Noboa’s revised orders received widespread public support, including from former opponents. Among those expressing support were former presidential candidate Jan Topic, former president Rafael Correa, leader of the Social Christian party Jaime Nebot, Guayaquil Mayor Achiles Alvarez, Quito Mayor Pabel Muñoz and former government minister Paula Romo.

Noboa elevates national emergency level following new violence; Turi prison still controlled by inmates

President Daniel Noboa has elevated the status of Monday’s national emergency, claiming the country has entered a state of internal armed conflict. The new decree authorizes deployment of the armed forces and National Police into the streets and other public areas to “neutralize criminals and terrorists.”

https://cuencahighlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/TC-jpg.webp
An announcer is held at gunpoint Tuesday afternoon at TC Television studio in Guayaquil.

Noboa’s original declaration, issued Monday afternoon, put the military and police on standby alert with orders to respond to local events as needed.

In Tuesday’s order, Noboa named 21 gangs he labeled as “public enemies of Ecuador.” Among the gangs are Los Choneros, Los Lobos, Los Chone Killers, Los Tiguerones, Latin Kings and Los Aguilas.

The new declaration follows Monday night violence that continued into Tuesday. Tuesday’s events were concentrated in Guayaquil and Esmeraldas, where more explosions were detonated and cars set on fire. In the day’s most dramatic gang attack, armed members of the Los Tiguerones gang invaded the studios of state-owned TC Television in Guayaquil, holding broadcasters and staff hostage for about 15 minutes before police came to the rescue. Gang members were briefly pictured on live tv, waving firearms and machetes while their captives sat and lay on the floor. Police captured 13 of the attackers. One tv station employee was injured in the incident.

https://cuencahighlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/troops-jpg.webp
Army troops began moving into Cuenca’s historic district Tuesday afternoon.

Throughout the country, public offices, businesses and schools sent employees and students home as a precautionary move. In Cuenca, public schools located near the Turi prison suspended classes while businesses in the historic district closed early following the circulation of rumors that proved false. The Universities of Cuenca and Azuay also suspended classes. Police say no violent incidents have been reported in the city since Monday night, when three explosions caused minor damage on city streets.

Late Tuesday, a police officer patrolling a mostly empty Parque Calderon, said Cuenca had suffered a case of “mass hysteria” based on news from other parts of the country and rumors of local bombings.

Social media reports of bombings at the 9th de Octubre and 12 de Abril markets and at the government building on Parque Calderon were debunked by officials.

National Police report that most of the Turi prison remains under the control of inmates, with 49 guards and administrative employees being held hostage. Hostages are also being held in two other prisons.

[DNA]

I'm reading on Stew Peter's reporting the capitol of Ecuador was stormed.

https://stewpeters.com/video/2024/01/violent-gangs-take-over-ecuador-chaos-ensues-as-armed-insurrectionists-storm-prisons/

[Bill Ryan]

I'm reading on Stew Peter's reporting the capitol of Ecuador was stormed.

https://stewpeters.com/video/2024/01/violent-gangs-take-over-ecuador-chaos-ensues-as-armed-insurrectionists-storm-prisons/More wild, sensational nonsense. :facepalm::)

Here's the local (reliable!) English-language report for this morning:


https://cuencahighlife.com/as-terrorist-arrests-pass-300-police-and-military-concentrate-on-three-gangs-in-five-coastal-provinces

As ‘terrorist’ arrests pass 300, police and military concentrate on three gangs in five coastal provinces

Police and military personnel have arrested 329 alleged gang members since Tuesday, Armed Forces Chief Jaime Vela reported Wednesday afternoon. “These men are members of three terrorist organizations, Los Tiguerones, Los Lobos and Los Choneros,” he said, adding that operations “are just beginning.”

https://cuencahighlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/arrests2-jpg.webp
Joint police and military operations have resulted in more than 300 arrests of members of criminal gangs as of Wednesday afternoon.

In addition to the arrests of gang members, Vela said the joint police and military operations have captured 28 inmates who escaped Monday and Tuesday from three prisons.

Vela said six suspected gang members have been killed in gunfights during the raids while one police officer was wounded. “During the missions, we have seized dozens of weapons, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, 200 cars, illegal drugs and a large amount of cash,” he said.

The sweep for gang members is concentrated in six coastal provinces, according to Vela: Los Ríos, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Guayas, Manabí, Esmeraldas and El Oro. “These are the areas where the gangs are concentrated and where they commit the most crimes,” he said. “We are also increasing control of the routes used by narco traffickers for the transport of drugs from Colombia and Peru. We are patrolling the border entry locations.”

Vela and National Police Commander Cesar Zapata acknowledged that the raids on gang strongholds involve high levels of risk. “When we go into their territory, we understand the risks we are taking and are prepared for it,” Zapata said. “The gang members are armed and are not accustomed to being confronted on their home turf.”

Zapata described a gunfight in the Guacharaca parish of Esmeraldas Province Wednesday, where a house used by Los Choneros was burned down by police. “Our objective was to make arrests and destroy the gang headquarters,” he said. “We encountered gunfire, which we returned. We understand we are at war with these people and will proceed accordingly.”

According to Zapata, police continue to be gang targets, reporting that two police died on patrol in Guayas Province. “These are very dangerous times for law enforcement personnel,” he said. “Our objective during the emergency period is to reduce the danger not just for police but for all citizens of Ecuador.”

Zapata said talks are continuing with prisoners holding an estimated 130 hostages in three prisons. “We hope to gain their release soon and the hostages tell us they are being treated well,” he said. He said that thousands of police and military personnel are stationed around six prisons to prevent escapes and to protect the public.

Vela and Zapata said that the designation of 22 gangs as terrorist organizations by President Daniel Noboa clarifies the mission for police and the army. “This is a military operation with the very clear objective of taking down the enemy,” said Zapata. “This is not a mission against common crime.”

[Bill Ryan]

I'm reading on Stew Peter's reporting the capitol of Ecuador was stormed.

https://stewpeters.com/video/2024/01/violent-gangs-take-over-ecuador-chaos-ensues-as-armed-insurrectionists-storm-prisons/More wild, sensational nonsense. :facepalm::)I should expand on my comment, which was made when I was in quite a big hurry — my sincere apologies. :flower:

Peters is of course 100% right to be highly concerned about armed criminal gangs from a number of South American countries invading and infiltrating the US.

My comment was because he (like many others in the alt media) is believing that there's a 'civil war' in Ecuador (NO), that there's some kind of terrorist 'coup' in progress (NO), and that there's panic, rioting, and civil unrest everywhere (NO).

And Peters referred to Ecuador as a 'banana republic third world country', which is so far from true it's really a giant facepalm. :facepalm:. (I've heard this from some other alt media commentators as well, including Alex Jones, all of whom should know better.)

For sure, Ecuador has a drug gang problem, almost entirely in a few coastal towns and cities, but exactly the same issue in the US is far worse and far more deeply ingrained.

Regarding everything else here (as I've shared a few times) this is the healthiest, most benign environment I've ever been in, the Ecuadorian people I know are super-pleasant and friendly (competent and honest, too), and I keep my doors and windows open night and day and never lock a thing. That's what's irritating about uninformed hyped reports like Stew Peters'. And he's far from alone.

~~~

I wrote to a friend a couple days ago, who had understandably been concerned:
It's really made me think about the role of social media in over-dramatizing much of what we absorb every day. That old adage comes to mind about only realizing how inaccurate all news reports must be when they feature something you actually witnessed. :)
Thinking even more about this, I suspect that what's often the case with many alt media platforms (including MANY on Twitter and Telegram) is that they're small, home-based operations that just don't have the time or resources to check out information from all over the world as it floods into them every day.

So all they can do is quickly re-report things, and add what comments they feel they can often based on really a very thin amount of information.

The exceptions to this that I feel I can couch for include Judge Napolitano and his cadre of highest-quality guests, Alexander Mercouris and The Duran, and Clayton and Natali Morris at Redacted. I know that all of those spend hours every day carefully checking out the information that comes to them.

But many others just don't have the time or capacity to verify or research further what they report. What this does lead to is a proliferation of fake, incorrect, or exaggerated news items in the alt media. (Some is quite innocent, some maybe not so.)

All this needs a thread of its own, I suspect. The alt media may not be as reliable (or trustworthy, not quite the same thing) as we sometimes want to believe it is.

But I also do know that working together here at Avalon, we all do our collective best to examine, verify and dig more deeply into what comes at us every day.

I'm regularly told by many guests who kindly email me that they fully trust Avalon as a reliable source of both news and analysis, and while we're pretty tiny compared to the behemoths out there I'm proud of what together we're able to present to the world here.

:grouphug:

[Ewan]

The alt media may not be as reliable (or trustworthy, not quite the same thing) as we sometimes want to believe it is.


:grouphug:


Amen to all of the post, but the part quoted?

Surely not many Avalon members are unaware of this. Accepting what you read on alt-media at face value is just like being the average joe who gets his info from the
"Nine 'o' Clock News" and/or the headlines in the papers.

That said, there is still a lot of guff (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guff) posted on the forum, sadly, and often from members who should know better.

Edit:

Think on this. if it allowed to be posted it is potentially dubious.

Discernment: Track record, view other posts, overall feel.

If it is removed, banned, channel shut down - well, at the very least it was going against the narrative. Or pure hatred.

If it is against the narrative, pause - realise there is a narrative being pushed.

[Bill Ryan]

Another interesting update. It appears there was quite a lot of panic throughout Ecuador a couple of days ago, all fueled by false or exaggerated social media reports. It's these same reports that have made their way to Twitter and Telegram channels in the rest of the alt media. I've added my own red emphasis below. :)

I'll be going into town today for one or two things, so I'll be able to report first-hand. But I'm absolutely certain everything will be as safe, quiet and as peaceful as it always is here.


https://cuencahighlife.com/cuenca-is-back-to-normal-following-wednesdays-panic-quito-mayor-decries-false-crime-reports/

Cuenca is back to normal following Wednesday’s panic; Quito mayor decries false crime reports

Most Cuenca businesses, schools and government offices resumed their normal operations on Thursday following widespread closures on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday. City and interprovincial buses and the tram were operating full schedules and hospitals dropped restrictions imposed on Tuesday.

Like many business owners in the historic district, Diana Córdova’s jewelry store on Gran Colombia reopened to customers Thursday morning. “I’m sorry I lost business yesterday, but I was doing what everyone else did,” she said. “I’m mad all the things we heard Tuesday were not true, but we didn’t know that when it was happening.”

[... snipped...]

Muñoz quoted former U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt that, “all we have to fear, is fear itself,” and complained about the large number of false reports of bombings and gang activity.

(...read the whole article here (https://cuencahighlife.com/cuenca-is-back-to-normal-following-wednesdays-panic-quito-mayor-decries-false-crime-reports/))

[palehorse]

Well said Bill and Ewan.

[Lunesoleil]

In any case, something must have happened in Ecuador 🇪🇨 for this news to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Before becoming president, Daniel Noboa was a businessman with assets in tax havens. Wasn't this event intended to destabilize political life and give a first warning?
What's up is what's down is what I tried to share in my article.

Tell me Bill, you who live in the mountains, how can you really know what's really going on in this country?
Did you read my article? because this event didn't happen by chance, there's a similarity that occurred just before the New Moon on January 11.
Do you think there's any place in the world that could be a paradise on earth today? if so, you'd have to have a minimum to live decently ...

[Ravenlocke]

This is the latest update regarding the number of kidnapped individuals.
Apparently 158 kidnapped are prison officials and 20 are administrative staff.

The whole episode is being termed ,”Prison Crisis”, but this doesn’t mean the whole country is in uproar.

https://x.com/telesurenglish/status/1745868248950915332

1745868248950915332

https://x.com/AiNewsRep/status/1745691872540942699

1745691872540942699


And this is how it’s reported here by the New York Times 3 days ago.

https://x.com/nytimesworld/status/1744853077151174868

1744853077151174868



https://x.com/nytimes/status/1744847780462440888

1744847780462440888

[Ewan]

Most Cuenca businesses, schools and government offices resumed their normal operations on Thursday following widespread closures on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday. City and interprovincial buses and the tram were operating full schedules and hospitals dropped restrictions imposed on Tuesday.

Like many business owners in the historic district, Diana Córdova’s jewelry store on Gran Colombia reopened to customers Thursday morning. “I’m sorry I lost business yesterday, but I was doing what everyone else did,” she said. “I’m mad all the things we heard Tuesday were not true, but we didn’t know that when it was happening.”

[... snipped...]

Muñoz quoted former U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt that, “all we have to fear, is fear itself,” and complained about the large number of false reports of bombings and gang activity.

(...read the whole article here (https://cuencahighlife.com/cuenca-is-back-to-normal-following-wednesdays-panic-quito-mayor-decries-false-crime-reports/))


In any case, something must have happened in Ecuador 🇪🇨 for this news to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Before becoming president, Daniel Noboa was a businessman with assets in tax havens. Wasn't this event intended to destabilize political life and give a first warning?
What's up is what's down is what I tried to share in my article.

Tell me Bill, you who live in the mountains, how can you really know what's really going on in this country?
Did you read my article? because this event didn't happen by chance, there's a similarity that occurred just before the New Moon on January 11.
Do you think there's any place in the world that could be a paradise on earth today? if so, you'd have to have a minimum to live decently ...

I understand you use a translator, but Bill actually highlighted in red comments from local business people that literally said what they heard was simply not true!

With that info, I'd be more inclined to trust a local, regardless of their elevation, to be more accurate than an international news report. :)

[ExomatrixTV]

Ecuador's President Says Country Is At War With Drug Gangs:

AbUJrHtB1rw


How Ecuador Became One of the World’s Most Violent Countries:

AEuL0aP2amY


Spiraling Gang Violence In Ecuador: Who Is In Control?

DNHWHeBNeMc


Upheaval In Ecuador: Gangs, Drugs, A Live TV Takeover:

gcV8oFsBqtA


Ecuador Emergency Explained | Guayaquil Is Prized Turf For Drug Traffickers:

T8oO2rHgvo0

[Ravenlocke]

January 9,

https://x.com/KawsachunNews/status/1744975049776333163

1744975049776333163

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/KawsachunNews/status/1744931045902860324

1744931045902860324

https://x.com/KawsachunNews/status/1744932075205992828

1744932075205992828

https://x.com/KawsachunNews/status/1744933495858696435

1744933495858696435

[Ravenlocke]

Google Translation Text:
Leonidas Iza, president of Conaie, has called on social organizations to "strengthen the levels of social organization" to "defend life" and confront "crime and excessive violence."

https://x.com/ActualidadRT/status/1744901877370913273

1744901877370913273

https://esrt.site/actualidad/495130-violencia-armada-ecuador-minuto

Armed violence in Ecuador, MINUTE BY MINUTE

Since Monday, after issuing the decree of a state of emergency, violence was unleashed in Ecuador. The kidnapping of three police officers has been recorded, in addition to an attack in Tenguel (Guayas) and vehicle fires in several provinces. The most recent fact is the taking of a television channel in Guayaquil by hooded and armed people. In parallel, President Daniel Noboa signed a decree in which he recognizes the existence of an "internal armed conflict."



After the escape last Sunday from the regional prison of Guayaquil of José Adolfo Macías Villamar, alias 'Fito', leader of the criminal gang 'Los Choneros', mutinies were unleashed in different prisons in the country and videos circulated on social networks in which hooded and armed criminals asked President Daniel Noboa to refrain from sending troops to prisons.
In the midst of this situation, Noboa announced on January 8 a state of emergency so that the Armed Forces could intervene in prisons and the so-called 'Fenix Plan was deployed, which included the implementation of controls by the Armed Forces and the National Police.
The crusade against insecurity launched by the Government was responded to with brutal violence by criminal organizations. In the last two days, there have been several episodes of attacks against the Police and the Army, and criminal acts, such as burning of vehicles and damage to public spaces and goods in different provinces.
This Tuesday, hooded and armed people took over the facilities of the TC Television channel in Guayaquil. Subsequently, the authorities reported the capture of those responsible. Likewise, and in response to the situation in Ecuador, Noboa issued a decree in which he recognizes the existence of an "internal armed conflict."

The rest of the minute by minute here,

https://esrt.site/actualidad/495130-violencia-armada-ecuador-minuto

¤=[Post Update]=¤

Text:
🇪🇨 Ecuador enfrenta su cuarta jornada tras decretarse el conflicto armado interno
Son varias cárceles donde se mantienen los criminales amotinados y son 158 agentes penitenciarios y 20 funcionarios administrativos los secuestrados.

@luigifsoto
comenta los detalles.
Translated from Spanish by
🇪🇨 Ecuador faces its fourth day after declaring the internal armed conflict
There are several prisons where mutinous criminals are kept and 158 prison officers and 20 administrative officials are kidnapped.

@luigifsoto
comments on the details.

https://x.com/ActualidadRT/status/1745893407820796375

1745893407820796375

[Ravenlocke]

Text:
Altos cargos de EE.UU. viajarán a Ecuador para combatir narcotráfico

La jefa del Comando Sur de EE.UU., Laura Richardson, y otros altos cargos del país norteamericano viajarán a Ecuador para combatir el narcotráfico.
Translated from Spanish by
🇪🇨 Senior US officials will travel to Ecuador to combat drug trafficking

The head of the US Southern Command, Laura Richardson, and other senior officials of the North American country will travel to Ecuador to combat drug trafficking.

https://x.com/ActualidadRT/status/1745909765757415802

1745909765757415802


Note this X comment in regards to the above news,

Mucha vuelta para terminar en lo que se quería, entregar el territorio ecuatoriano a los gringos, bajo la observancia y el pretexto de la lucha contra el narcotráfico o terrorismo ya que Noboa los cataloga así, se cometerá persecución política, que nadie tenga duda que pasará.
Translated from Spanish by
A lot of backtracking to end up with what was wanted, handing over Ecuadorian territory to the gringos, under the observance and pretext of the fight against drug trafficking or terrorism since Noboa classifies them that way, political persecution will be committed, let no one have any doubt what will happen. .

https://x.com/HumbertoSurezG3/status/1745916899131527569

1745916899131527569

[Ravenlocke]

Text:
🇪🇨🇺🇸 | La jefa del Comando Sur de los Estados Unidos, Laura Richardson, visitará Ecuador, en las próximas semanas, para profundizar la cooperación en el combate al crimen organizado e incrementar el intercambio de inteligencia.
Translated from Spanish by
🇪🇨🇺🇸 | The head of the United States Southern Command, Laura Richardson, will visit Ecuador in the coming weeks to deepen cooperation in the fight against organized crime and increase intelligence sharing.

https://x.com/MundoEConflicto/status/1745895957638639705

1745895957638639705

[Lunesoleil]

RY80N3OeDt4



I understand you use a translator, but Bill actually highlighted in red comments from local business people that literally said what they heard was simply not true!

With that info, I'd be more inclined to trust a local, regardless of their elevation, to be more accurate than an international news report. :)

What we need to know is how far away these local inhabitants are from the towns where these conflicts are provoked. Between living in the countryside far from the big cities, there is often a difference in the way information is disseminated.
Ecuador 🇪🇨 is not far from Colombia 🇨🇴 and Peru 🇵🇪, countries where drug corruption is rife in South America.
Living in the countryside is not the same as living in a big city. Between temptations and deprivations, behavior changes...

lGjiWQJ-x5U


My participation after the media spread the news in France
https://lunesoleil23-wordpress-com.translate.goog/2024/01/10/lequateur-et-la-nuit-de-lame/?_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=fr

[palehorse]

I saw similar situation before when living in Brazil, they blame drug traffickers, gangs, etc.. but the real story was something else (front crises), perhaps they got some rare minerals and they want to sell part of the country (see current situation of the Amazon with the fake NGOs) or maybe is something else, but it is NEVER what they are reporting in the fake mainstream news.

Trust your local resources is a way more accurate than trust international outlets. What these fancy people with fancy big words knows? they don't even speak the local dialect and want sell the big picture of it. Just ask a person in the affected area is all it takes, one will be surprised to hear what they have to say.

For local news stick with the locals, is your best bet.

[Bill Ryan]

Today's update. It contains a lot more mundane news, and I'll highlight the parts that may be relevant or [mildly!] interesting. It's slightly edited for easier reading, and some local items have been skipped.

Regarding the posts above reported elsewhere in the world, much of the news was (a) exaggerated and (b) several days out of date. There were several prison breaks earlier in the week, but since then there have been many re-arrests.

One prison (Turi) still has a hostage situation which hasn't been resolved yet. The military may storm the prison to end the stand-off, but if so it may be very bloody. I believe that's the one remaining unhandled issue in the country.

I drove through Cuenca yesterday, and I can confirm that everything was exceptionally normal. (If 'exceptionally normal' means anything in English! :P)


https://cuencahighlife.com/neighbors-pitch-in-to-support-the-military-city-buys-motos-cars-for-the-police-bomb-scare-turns-out-to-be-fireworks-officials-warn-of-spreading-rumors

Neighbors pitch in to support the military; City buys motorcycles, cars for the police; Bomb scare turns out to be fireworks; Officials warn of spreading rumors

Members of the Duran family in the Zhin Zhin barrio of Baños asked themselves how they could collaborate with police and military who were responding to the violence in Ecuador. One idea was to cook and deliver food. So on the morning of the 10th, they polled their neighbors to see if they would be interested in helping with buying ingredients and helping to cook. The tiendas and neighbors responded with chicken, rice, oil and spices and enough volunteers to prepare 225 containers of food and beverages.

https://cuencahighlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/troop-support-jpg.webp
Neighbors in the in the Zhin Zhin barrio of Baños prepare meals for the troops and police stationed at the Turi prison.

[... snipped...]

Alert for detonation of explosive device in avenue ruled out

Police responded to alerts about an explosion on Huayna Cápac y González Suárez and verified it was fireworks and not a bombing.

[... snipped...]

911 reported no increase in emergencies in the country

Bolívar Tello, director of ECU 911 reported that an analysis of the number of emergencies reported between 9/1 at 6:00 to 10/1 at 6:00 was 8,748 which is similar to the number of alerts in a normal day.

The 7,178 video surveillance cameras showed normal circulation of people and cars. There were fewer cars in different areas of the country due to suspension of in-person classes in schools and telecommuting by some businesses. In other areas there was traffic congestion. ECU 911 called for people to stay calm, get your information from official sources only, and not send out rumors and false news.
<I know none of you would ever think of receiving dubious news from even more unreliable sources and immediately sending it out to your 5,000 best friends on several platforms as God’s truth.> [From Bill: this was the journalist's added comment :)]

National: Mega-prison designs ready

Pres. Noboa presented the designs for the 2 mega-prisons to be built in Santa Elena and Pastaza provinces. Each prison will have the capacity to house 736 prisoners and have super-maximum, maximum and high security modules; cell and satellite blocking; electronic systems with state-of-the-art technology; digital and analog access control; triple perimeter security; self-generation of electricity; water treatment and armored construction and faceless guards.

[Bill Ryan]

Today's update: :thumbsup:
(extracted, only showing relevant items here)


https://cuencahighlife.com/amazon-community-residents-oppose-new-prison-1327-arrested-in-anti-terrorist-operations-new-referendum-questions-released-schools-reopen

1,327 arrested in anti-terrorist operations

The Armed Forces and National Police Joint Command reported Sunday it has made 1,327 arrests of suspected gang members, 143 of them with “confirmed links to terrorist gangs” during Plan Fénix. The Command said a total of 12,974 operations have been conducted in 18 of the country’s 24 provinces.

According to an official statement, the Command said it conducted 32 raids aimed at dismantling criminal cells associated with 22 gangs designated as “terrorist organizations.” It reported that 491 firearms, 268 knives, 10,241 rounds of ammunition, 462 explosives, 343 vehicles, 14 boats, as well as large quantities of drugs and cash have been seized in the past five days.

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/SputnikInt/status/1746836354804199651

1746836354804199651

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/mazzenilsson/status/1748468242484535402

1748468242484535402

[Bill Ryan]

https://x.com/mazzenilsson/status/1748468242484535402

1748468242484535402An update on this already. (Suatez was killed two days ago, on Wednesday.)


https://cuencahighlife.com/yasunidos-will-fight-all-efforts-to-scuttle-oil-vote-businesses-and-tourism-interests-want-nightly-curfew-relaxed-arrests-made-in-prosecutor-murder

(extracted)

Arrests made in Guayaquil prosecutor murder

Two men have been arrested for the murder of Guayaquil prosecutor Cesar Suarez, and Police Commander Cesar Zapata says both are linked to the Los Chonekillers criminal gang. Suarez was shot multiple times in his car on Wednesday as he drove to a court hearing for the suspects in the invasion of the TC Television studios last week.

During the arrests, police recovered firearms they say were used in the murder, including several handguns and multiple rounds of ammunition. Zapata said that two more suspects have been identified in the crime and remain at large.

Suarez was conducting a number of investigations of criminal gangs and had interviewed most of those arrested in the TC Television studio attack, January 9. According to Zapata, several of Suarez’s cases involved Chonekillers attacks on police in the Duran-Guayaquil area. He added that there is also a connection between drug trafficker Leandro Norero, the center of Operation Metastasis arrests, and the Chonekillers.

[Ravenlocke]

Two suspects arrested, two are on the run.

https://x.com/telesurenglish/status/1748409990266638797

1748409990266638797

[Ravenlocke]

Some more news on the US “security assistance” to Ecuador,


https://x.com/KawsachunNews/status/1746552562650698016

1746552562650698016

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/SDonziger/status/1758974642465730783

1758974642465730783

https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0130-despite-victory-in-a-historic-referendum-yasuni-national-park-is-again-at-risk

Despite Victory in a Historic Referendum, Yasuní National Park Is Again at Risk
Ecuador's president announces plans to ignore the popular vote and continue drilling for oil in one of the most biodiverse places on the planet, home to Indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation

Despite Victory in a Historic Referendum, Yasuní National Park Is Again at Risk
Ecuador's president announces plans to ignore the popular vote and continue drilling for oil in one of the most biodiverse places on the planet, home to Indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation


January 30, 2024 | Kevin Koenig | Eye on the Amazon

In August 2023, millions of Ecuadorians made history. The country became the first to keep fossil fuels in the ground by popular vote, with an overwhelming 60% choosing to keep over 700 million barrels of crude permanently in the ground underneath Yasuní National Park. It was a major victory for Indigenous peoples, biodiversity, and the climate in a country that is the largest producer of Amazon crude and which has seen decades of contamination and rights abuses at the hands of the oil industry.

But now, the government seeks to upend the will of voters and continue drilling in Yasuní under the pretense of funding the country’s escalating conflict with organized crime.

President Daniel Noboa announced his support this week for a “moratorium” on implementing the referendum results for “at least a year,” backing away from a campaign promise and declarations he made after taking office in October that the referendum results would be respected and implemented. At the time, he expressed intent to move Ecuador away from commodities and that the country didn’t have to keep drilling like “back in the stone age.” He also questioned the economic logic of continuing to drill in Yasuní. Ecuador crude sells for $8 less than the WTI benchmark, which is projected to be not greater than $70 for the next five years. Crude from Yasuní is even more deeply discounted, and sells for $58. But it costs an estimated $59 per barrel to extract. “If I were to make any money, it would be very little,” said Noboa at the time.

The country’s Constitutional Court, which green-lighted the referendum, gave state-run oil company Petroecuador one year from the vote to end drilling of the Ishpingo, Tambococha, Tiputini (ITT) oil fields inside Block 43 in the country’s remote rainforest region along the Peruvian border. Additionally, it ordered that all infrastructure must be dismantled and removed, and the area remediated and restored, within that one-year timeframe. Yasuní is a UNESCO biosphere reserve widely considered one of the most biodiverse places on the planet, and it is home to Indigenous peoples, including the Tagaeri, Taromenane, and Dugakaeri who are living in voluntary isolation from the outside world.

Noboa claims his about-face is needed to help finance the country’s efforts to stop a surge in violence from drug cartels that is terrorizing the nation and restore order and security. Once relatively tranquil, Ecuador has very recently become one of Latin America’s most dangerous places, with the highest homicide rate in the region. A state of emergency was declared on January 8, followed by a declaration of “internal armed conflict” the day after.

But Ecuador’s Indigenous movement and the Yasunidos collective who spearheaded the original campaign to gather signatures to qualify the question of leaving the ITT reserves in the ground to voters challenge Noboa’s pretext for delay.

“Noboa and oil interests are taking advantage of the crisis,” said Pedro Bermeo from Yasunidos. “Instead of considering other options – like ending tax breaks and subsidies for big corporations – they are trafficking in fear to undermine the will of voters and upend democracy. This is not Daniel Noboa’s decision. The people have voted, and our votes must be respected.”

Indeed, the current crisis is providing an opportunity for the government to push through a long wish list of Shock Doctrine style regressive neoliberal reforms, like raising the value-added tax and ending fuel subsidies that previous administrations were unable to do, taking advantage of daily curfews and the fact that many civil liberties, like the right to assemble, are suspended. Noboa is also moving to expand powers and grant broad immunity to the military and police, raising major concerns from rights advocates and environmental defenders. “Democracy can’t become the new victim of organized crime,” stated Vivian Idrovo, coordinator of the Alliance of Organizations for Human Rights in Ecuador.

Of additional concern is the fact that Noboa has expressed his desire to use funds from drilling in Yasuní to support further military action, while also asking the U.S. government for increased security aid. In fact, the Biden administration should make it crystal clear that Ecuador should not sacrifice human rights, the environment, or the democratic process to protect Yasuní for the sake of security. A condition for U.S. aid is respect for human rights, and Noboa’s plans to undermine or delay implementation of the decision of the Inter-American Court with respect to Yasuní should be of extreme concern to U.S. officials.

Undermining democracy

The strength of keeping ITT oil in the ground via referendum vote was that it could not be easily undone. It was not a presidential decree or a policy that could be reversed by a new government, industry pressure, or shifting political winds. However, Noboa and a group of legislators are exploring ways to circumvent the clear decision of Ecuadorians at the polls.

Noboa may try to petition the Constitutional Court for more time to implement the decision – something Petroecuador has been arguing in hopes of prolonging well closure as long as possible. But the Yasuní referendum question was placed on the ballot as remedy for a court case brought by Yasunidos, who, according to the Constitutional Court, had their right to participatory democracy violated when the 750,000 signatures they collected to qualify for a referendum were wrongly deemed invalid.

As Amazon Watch legal advisor Nathaly Yepez explains, “Even in a scenario in which the Court determines that the request to extend the deadline somehow complies with the results of the Yasuní referendum, it still could not render it meaningless and nullify what was decided at the polls. The referendum imposes immediate obligations that the government already must comply with, such as not entering into new contracts that continue oil exploitation in Block 43 in Yasuní.”

Another extreme idea being explored by several members of congress is to simply repeat the referendum, a blatant attack on democracy given it was less than six months ago that the vast majority of voters approved keeping oil in the ground, and no progress has been made to implement the results of the first referendum.

Even without any new pretext, Petrocuador has been dragging its feet on implementing the vote within the one-year timeframe established by the court, citing costs and technical challenges to closing the 225 wells that produce an estimated 58,000 bpd. The company has conveniently interpreted the one-year deadline to mean it has until August 2024 to stop production, as opposed to completing the removal of all equipment and remediation and clean-up of the damage that its activities have already caused. Yasunidos recently filed a complaint with the court over Petroecuador’s failure to begin implementing any of the court ordered measures.

Increased threat for isolated peoples

Not only does delay in implementing the referendum vote undermine democracy, it is an existential threat for the nomadic Tagaeri, Taromenane, and Dugakaeri, Ecuador’s last known Indigenous peoples living in isolation. Much of their traditional territory includes the boundaries of Yasuní National Park. But eight oil concessions overlap the park, and a controversial new road to connect wells of the ITT fields is less than a quarter of a mile from a designated no-go zone established in 1999 to protect them.

The Tagaeri, Taromenane, and Dugakaeri are under pressure from all sides – hemmed in by oil wells, pipelines, and roads – while illegal loggers and poachers further encroach into forest area they traditionally use, interrupting their seasonal hunting, fishing, and food collection patterns. Contamination from frequent oil spills along with gas flaring also pose significant health risks, and continued drilling increases the likelihood of forced contact, violent conflict, exposure to disease, and continued erosion of their food sovereignty and autonomy.

Many of these rights violations are part of a groundbreaking case on the rights of isolated Indigenous peoples now pending before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The Tagaeri and Taromenane Indigenous people vs. the Ecuadorian state was brought on behalf of the three Indigenous peoples against the Ecuadorian government for failing to protect them and putting them at risk from oil extraction. A decision is expected this year.

According to Leonidas Iza, president of CONAIE (the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador), the current crisis is being used as a pretense to implement regressive measures that particularly affect Indigenous peoples. “Under the pretext of the current crisis, the government wants to implement its neoliberal economic model, exonerating taxes for big companies while raising them on everyone else. In the Amazon, oil drilling is also death and destruction. For 50 years we’ve been told that oil extraction will bring development and reduce poverty. But the opposite is true. We know firsthand that more oil will not solve the security or financial crisis we are suffering through together as a country. The mafias of the extractive industry are part of the problem. Our Indigenous brothers living in isolation, Yasuní, and our democracy must not be sacrificed for a crisis that can be solved a different way.”

In the midst of rising violence last August, an overwhelming majority of Ecuadorians voted for hope. They voted to protect nature and Indigenous rights. They voted for future generations. They voted for life. We stand in solidarity with Ecuador in the face of this crisis and all those that face violence. And the eyes of the world are on President Noboa and his administration to respect the will of its voters and to keep the oil in the ground.

[Inversion]

The military in Ecuador raided the Mexican embassy and arrested former VP Jorge Glas.

halturnerradioshow.com (https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/en/component/content/article/ecuador-troops-raid-mexican-embassy-arrest-jorge-glas-mexico-may-declare-war?catid=17&Itemid=220)

Armed Soldiers of the Ecuadorian Army RAIDED the Mexican Embassy in Quito to arrest the former vice president of Ecuador Jorge Glas

According to Article 22 of the Vienna Convention, diplomatic premises cannot be violated.

Today, the Ecuadorian state forcibly entered the Mexican embassy in Ecuador and removed Jorge Glas.

The Mexican president has quickly moved to break off diplomatic ties with Ecuador after police broke into the Mexican Embassy to arrest a former Ecuadorian vice president who had sought political asylum there after being indicted on corruption charges.

04/06/24 (2:16)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udKzoxEKkaY

Mexico has cut diplomatic ties with Ecuador.
That's after police raided the Mexican embassy in Quito.
They arrested Ecuador's former Vice President Jorge Glas, who had been evading detention in the Mexican embassy since December.

[Ravenlocke]

Text:
🇪🇨🇲🇽 🔴‼️ BREAKING: ECUADOR'S POLICE STORMS MEXICAN EMBASSY TO ARREST EX VICE-PRESIDENT

Mexico has suspended diplomatic ties with Ecuador after its embassy was stormed in Quito on Friday. The Ecuadorian Police arrested their own former VP Jorge Glas, who was seeking asylum in the Mexican embassy, citing persecution by the attorney general's office on corruption charges


https://x.com/svsnewsagency/status/1776517505546424796

1776517505546424796

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/KawsachunNews/status/1776541325300543606

1776541325300543606

¤=[Post Update]=¤

Text:
🇪🇨🇲🇽With Israel bombing embassies we get some unprecedented violations once again. Mexico’s foreign ministry gave political asylum to former Ecuadorian vice president Jorge Glas. He had been staying in Mexico’s embassy in Quito since late last year after Ecuador charged him with corruption.

Ecuador sent in a special forces team to break into Mexico's embassy and has arrested Jorge Glas. Mexico has now broken off diplomatic relations with Ecuador.

❗️Asbery's Opinion: Ecuador leader is a wealthy heir, born and educated in the US. He is pro-US/Ukraine so the West will ignore his violation of the "rules based order" most likely. I think as a new order arises and the old order resists that we should expect international laws and norms to be disregarded. Potentially it could be a bumpy next decade or two.

https://dw.com/en/mexico-cuts-ties-with-ecuador-after-embassy-raid/a-68755686

Slavyangrad

https://x.com/dana916/status/1776660187354374483

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[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/telesurenglish/status/1776490459944169732

1776490459944169732

https://x.com/telesurenglish/status/1776503157364793837

1776503157364793837

https://x.com/telesurenglish/status/1776596315943657957

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https://x.com/telesurenglish/status/1776683878553395241

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https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Latin-American-Countries-Condemn-Mexican-Embassy-Assault-20240406-0003.html


Latin American Countries Condemn Mexican Embassy Assault


The condemnation by Latin American countries of the violent invasion of the Mexican embassy in the Ecuadorian capital, Quito, has not been delayed.

The Brazilian government condemned, "in the strongest terms", the "repudiable" police intrusion in the diplomatic headquarters. The measure of the "Ecuadorian Government constitutes a serious precedent, which must be strongly repudiated, whatever the justification for its implementation," said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil.

Miguel Díaz-Canel, the Cuban President expressed solidarity with the Government of Mexico. "All our solidarity with Mexico, in the face of the unacceptable violation of its Embassy in Quito," Díaz-Canel wrote on X. He stated that "the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which is an essential component of international law, must be respected by all".

For his part, the Bolivian president Luis Arce condemned and described the action as "unacceptable". In a message on his social networks, Arce said that Bolivia, respectful "of the rules governing diplomatic relations, strongly condemns the intrusion of the Ecuadorian police" in the Mexican embassy in Quito, an event "unprecedented in the history of international law".

The Chilean government also expressed "its strongest condemnation" on Saturday and expressed "its deep concern about the violation of the right to asylum". The Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs conveyed its solidarity "to all the diplomatic staff of the Embassy of Mexico in Ecuador" and asked that "this incident between sister nations, with which Chile maintains close relations and of historical friendship, is soon overcome".

On the other hand, the Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, described this Saturday as a "fascist act" the police intrusion in the Embassy of Mexico in Quito. "All this constitutes an action that not even in the most atrocious dictatorships in the region had been recorded (...), creating a worrying precedent for Ecuador and the world," said the Bolivarian government in X.

Xiomara Castro, the Honduran president, described the police intrusion into the embassy as "intolerable". Castro indicated in X that the aggression constitutes an intolerable act for the international community, since it ignores the historic and fundamental right to asylum.

[Ravenlocke]

Here is another story explanation.

“ On Friday, Ecuador's government declared Mexican Ambassador Raquel Serur Smeke a “persona non grata” and ordered her to leave on Thursday.

The move came after recent statements by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who suggested Daniel Noboa won the Ecuadorian presidential election because of the murder of candidate Fernando Villavicencio.

Responding to the move, the Mexican Foreign Ministry lamented the declaration of persona non grata to Ambassador Smeke and denounced acts of "clear harassment" to the Mexican Embassy.”


https://x.com/anadoluagency/status/1776539090114211970

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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/ecuadorian-police-raid-mexican-embassy-to-arrest-former-vice-president/3185094

Ecuadorian police raid Mexican Embassy to arrest former vice president
Mexico suspending diplomatic relations with Ecuador, says Mexican president

BOGOTA, Colombia

Police in Ecuador raided the Mexican Embassy in Quito to arrest former Vice President Jorge Glas, who had been granted political asylum by Mexico.

Police entered the Mexican Embassy in Quito and detained Glas despite Mexico's announcement of granting him political asylum, according to local media. 


Speaking to the reporters, Roberto Canseco, the head of political affairs at the Mexican Embassy, denounced the raid, stating that Ecuadorian police entered the embassy by force and assaulted the staff.

"This is absolutely unacceptable, it cannot be, and this is literally barbaric. We are concerned for Glas' safety," Canseco said.

In response to the incident, Mexico has suspended diplomatic relations with Ecuador, citing the violation of national sovereignty.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador characterized Ecuadorian police's intrusion into the embassy as a breach of Mexico’s sovereignty.

"This is a flagrant violation of international law and Mexico's sovereignty, which is why I have instructed our foreign minister to issue a statement regarding this authoritarian act, proceed legally, and immediately declare the suspension of diplomatic relations with the government of Ecuador," Obrador wrote on X.


As of Dec. 17, 2023, Blas sought refuge in Mexico's Embassy to avoid a prison term on two counts of corruption. Friction between the two countries has escalated following the Mexican government's refusal to allow Ecuadorian authorities to enter the country to arrest Blas.

On Friday, Ecuador's government declared Mexican Ambassador Raquel Serur Smeke a “persona non grata” and ordered her to leave on Thursday.

The move came after recent statements by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who suggested Daniel Noboa won the Ecuadorian presidential election because of the murder of candidate Fernando Villavicencio.

Responding to the move, the Mexican Foreign Ministry lamented the declaration of persona non grata to Ambassador Smeke and denounced acts of "clear harassment" to the Mexican Embassy.

In its press release, the ministry announced that the government of Mexico has decided to grant Glas political asylum, saying the decision will be officially communicated to the Ecuadorian authorities, along with the request that they grant Blas safe conduct in accordance with the 1954 Diplomatic Asylum Convention.

[norman]

https://t.me/rightonradio/21834
rightonradio/21834

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/MayadeenEnglish/status/1781619510027375039

1781619510027375039

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/ecuadorian-president-announces-state-of-emergency-over-energ


Ecuadorian President announces state of emergency over energy crisis
Due to a massive energy crisis in Ecuador, its President Daniel Noboa has announced a two-month state of emergency in the country.

Expreso news agency quoted Noboa's decree as saying that the state of emergency would be declared "in connection with serious domestic unrest and public disasters throughout the country, which were caused by the emergency situation in the electric energy sector, in order to secure continuous energy services."

During the state of emergency which will be in force for two months, Ecuadorian police and armed forces will be dispatched to protect the energy infrastructure to stop potential sabotages and terrorist acts, the decree added.

Ecuador is going through a major energy crisis caused by the shutdown of hydroelectric plants at the desiccated reservoirs, which are its main power generators.

The country's government filed a complaint on April 17 with the prosecutor's office against 22 senior officials of the Ministry of Energy and Mines, one of whom is former Minister Andrea Arrobo, who allegedly purposely withheld information essential to the functioning of the country's energy system.

This comes amid recent tensions between Ecuador and Mexico following a raid on the Mexican embassy raid in Quito earlier this month.

Read more: Mexico suspends diplomatic ties with Ecuador after embassy breach

Mexico to take Ecuador to the ICJ

Mexico plans to pursue legal action against Ecuador at the International Court of Justice in response to the embassy raid in Quito, according to the Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena on April 8.

Barcena announced, during an event welcoming Mexican diplomats who left Ecuador on April 7, "Starting tomorrow we are going to the ICJ where we are presenting this sad case," adding, "We believe that we can win this case quickly."

Spain and the European Union, alongside the United Nations chief and nations from Latin America, joined in condemning Quito for the embassy raid.

[Bill Ryan]

https://x.com/MayadeenEnglish/status/1781619510027375039

1781619510027375039

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/ecuadorian-president-announces-state-of-emergency-over-energ

Ecuadorian President announces state of emergency over energy crisis
Due to a massive energy crisis in Ecuador, its President Daniel Noboa has announced a two-month state of emergency in the country.

Expreso news agency quoted Noboa's decree as saying that the state of emergency would be declared "in connection with serious domestic unrest and public disasters throughout the country, which were caused by the emergency situation in the electric energy sector, in order to secure continuous energy services."

[...]Many thanks indeed as always, but that's mostly sensationalized hype. (I live here! :P)

The problem is El Niño transitioning to La Niña (the climatological intricacies of which I don't pretend to fully understand, as it's all very complicated and hard to model), and this is affecting ALL of South America at the moment with lack of rainfall.

The dry weather is great for mountain hiking, but this is meant to be the rainy season (January—June) and it's mostly been like summer (July—December).

So if it's not going to rain much when it's supposed to be raining, this really is an 'emergency'. Come July, things may get drier still, but no-one really knows for sure. And low reservoir levels mean the hydro-electric power stations can't work at full capacity. That's the problem.

So there are daily power cuts now, which started a week ago, but all at announced times — easy to plan for, and most of daily life is unaffected. (Gas stations, banks, healthcare services etc are all unaffected too, and many stores, including all the largest ones, have their own generators. And the myriads of small roadside market stalls selling fresh fruit and veg don't need electricity anyway.)

But a lot of people are pretty angry about it, blaming the government (maybe rightly) for not adequately planning ahead. So part of the declaration of 'national emergency' I suspect is a political PR ploy to try to get the people to be supportive of the measures taken and (please, please! :)) not to complain too much.

[Ravenlocke]

Thanks for answering Bill, I was wondering after reading the article if you had noticed or experienced electric power cuts or maybe in town they have electric shortage. And yes news sensationalize but I was surprised to see it reported by a middle eastern news outlet.

[Ravenlocke]

I think this is a positive.

🇪🇨 Ecuador's Armed Forces free 43 people kidnapped by criminal gang Los Lobos

A total of 43 people who had been kidnapped in Ecuador by the criminal gang Los Lobos were released in the municipality of Camilo Ponce Enriquez in Azuay province, where a new state of emergency is in force together with six other provinces due "serious internal unrest" and "internal armed conflict," the country's armed forces reported.

"Military operation in the canton Camilo Ponce Enriquez sector Santa Martha [southern province of Azuay], action that allowed the rescue of 40 men and three women, during the military operation two subjects were apprehended and seized: seven rifles, two pistols, four feeders and multiple rounds of ammunition," the armed forces said in a statement on the social network X.

https://x.com/SputnikInt/status/1808976506967781541

1808976506967781541

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/camilapress/status/1829257808115839218

1829257808115839218

https://www.intercept.com.br/2024/08/29/ecuador-us-backed-prosecutor-attacks-left/

U.S.-Linked Prosecutor Is Behind Assault on Ecuador’s Left | Intercept Brasil

Three bullets to the head ended a presidential campaign, sending a South American nation and parts of Washington D.C. reeling. Fernando Villavicencio, a charismatic Ecuadorian politician, had been rising in the polls in the August 2023 snap elections by promising to take on the corrupting influence of violent, organized drug cartels. Less than two weeks before the election, as the candidate walked among a cheering crowd towards his car at a campaign event, an assassin shot him dead.

The brazen killing rocked Ecuador and brought international attention to the South American nation’s election. Villavicencio’s supporters quickly blamed leftist Rafael Correa, president from 2007 to 2017, and his party for the candidate’s assassination, without evidence.

Then, the U.S. government got involved: First, the State Department announced a multimillion-dollar reward for information leading to those who planned the killing, and later, the FBI sent a team of agents to investigate the assassination.

Now, leaked private messages purportedly sent by Ecuadorian Attorney General Diana Salazar, and reviewed by Drop Site News and The Intercept Brasil, reveal why the U.S. invested so many resources to investigate the candidate’s assassination: according to Salazar’s purported messages, Villavicencio was a U.S. government informant. And Salazar, who was apparently in close contact with the U.S. ambassador, helped shape a public narrative that the leftist party was to blame for the killing—a maneuver that successfully kept the Correaistas from returning to power and dramatically accelerated the Ecuadorian state’s staggering descent.

The sensitive revelation is one of many that comes from the series of leaked chats between a former Ecuadorian assemblymember and an account he says was Salazar.

Drop Site is the first English-language outlet to obtain complete access to the explosive chat records that reveal the inner workings of a politically motivated attack on the leading leftist political party, all with the blessing of the U.S.

Some of the messages have been reported on by the Ecuadorian media, which has buried the story. The foreign press has largely ignored the leaks, which provide a rare and intimate look into an example of the underhanded, U.S.-backed right-wing playbook. This playbook has, over the last decade, duped much of the media, promoted reactionary movements and anti-political sentiments, rolled back social gains, and wreaked political havoc in Brazil, Peru, Guatemala, Argentina, Bolivia, Venezuela, Honduras, and beyond. Former president Donald Trump has also flirted with it, by attempting to use the U.S. Justice Department to go after political adversaries.

The Salazar messages are now the subject of an investigation by Salazar’s colleagues and she is currently facing impeachment for “breach of duties” within the National Assembly, a process primarily led by the left-wing political party. In May, a Florida-based criminal attorney, representing an Ecuadorian man implicated in one of Salazar’s investigations, wrote a letter to the House Judiciary Committee and the Justice Department, claiming that the messages “violate several federal laws” in the U.S. The attorney recommended the U.S. blacklist Salazar for revealing “highly sensitive and confidential information” from U.S. law enforcement agencies.

Salazar and her attorney did not respond to a request for an interview nor to a detailed list of questions from Drop Site and The Intercept Brasil. She has never denied that the chats belong to her, but Salazar has called the entire ordeal a political circus, saying that it is an attempt to “contaminate” one of her major investigations. In March, when the assemblymember began releasing the chats, Salazar said on X, formerly known as Twitter: “I will remain focused on what is important, desperation knows no bounds. They will not distract our attention.”

Since being appointed in April 2019, Salazar has become one of Washington’s strongest allies in the country, with U.S. officials championing her as a crusader against corruption: the State Department presented her with an award; later this year, she’ll receive another award from the Woodrow Wilson Center; and Samantha Power, the USAID administrator, wrote a glowing profile of Salazar for TIME magazine. U.S. support is essential for a non-leftist with political aspirations. With the exception of Correa’s presidency, the bilateral relations have historically been so tight that in 2000 Ecuador even went so far as to replace its own currency with the dollar.

Salazar has led a series of high-profile prosecutions to—as she has claimed—root out corruption in Ecuador, whipping up a national fever of anti-corruption and anti-political sentiments. Among the targets of investigations include the last three former presidents: Rafael Correa, Lenín Moreno, and Guillermo Lasso. (The impeachment case laid out by her political opponents accuses her of strategically accelerating cases against leftists while delaying others, including the ones implicating Lasso and Moreno, both right-wingers.)

Now, the tranche of hundreds of private messages show Salazar may have revealed sensitive information from the investigations, lending credence to allegations by Correistas that she engaged in a pattern of politically motivated actions, including aggressively pursuing cases against left-wing politicians while simultaneously delaying cases against more pro-U.S. right-wingers.

The messages, exchanged with Ronny Aleaga, a close confidante formerly of Correa’s party, call into question Salazar’s prosecutorial ethics and impartiality. The relationship between Aleaga and Salazar, ostensible political rivals, remains a source of mystery and intrigue in Ecuador. He told Drop Site their relationship was not romantic, but one of intimate confidence. Whatever the case, the messages, in which Salazar’s purported contact is registered as “Seño,” read as two people close to each other swapping political information, with the relationship going through twists and turns as Aleaga’s role in her investigations fluctuates. In an interview, Aleaga claimed he did not know why Salazar was sharing sensitive information regarding her investigations.

“I am also confused,” Aleaga told Drop Site. “If we were political adversaries, why was there this communication? I’m not sure.”

Aleaga provided Drop Site with conversations exchanged on an anonymous, private messaging platform that he recorded and saved. Drop Site and The Intercept Brasil also accessed other sensitive chats submitted as evidence in a separate criminal investigation. Overall, we reviewed over 1,500 private messages, spanning mostly from March 2023 to March of this year.

The release of these messages comes amid a defining moment in Ecuadorian history. Not long ago, Ecuador was in many ways the envy of Latin America. Today, economic freefall, gutted social spending, and political violence by increasingly brazen narco gangs are tanking the popularity of its right-wing president, heir to a billionaire banana fortune.

As narco violence lays bare the country’s political unraveling, two figures are attempting to seize the crisis and define the moment: current president Daniel Noboa has chosen a hard-line, U.S.-backed militarized approach to combat organized crime and Salazar continues to disrupt the political establishment by pursuing investigations she says are related to corruption and drug trafficking.

The causes of such a dramatic reversal of national fortunes are inevitably multifaceted, but Ecuador’s fate follows a specific pattern that has roiled many countries in the region in recent years—oftentimes with secretive support of the U.S. government, ultimately benefiting U.S. corporations and their local right-wing allies.

Among the allegations emerging from the leaked messages:

Salazar may have delayed an investigation into businessmen linked to former right-wing president Guillermo Lasso to harm left-wing candidates during the 2023 snap elections.
Salazar admitted the U.S. government did not want Correa’s Movimiento Revolución Ciudadana, or Citizen Revolution Movement party (RC, by its acronym in Spanish) to win the 2023 elections. “They want RC’s head,” “Seño” wrote.
Salazar warned Aleaga of a looming investigation into his alleged corruption, and encouraged him to flee Ecuador prior to a warrant for his arrest.
Salazar claimed that assassinated presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was a U.S. government informant before encouraging Aleaga to become a cooperating witness for U.S. prosecutors.
According to the messages, for months, Salazar knew that a criminal group was responsible for the Villavicencio murder. Despite knowing this, Salazar’s office ran with the theory that the murder was orchestrated by Rafael Correa and his allies, allowing accusations against Correa to circulate, potentially playing a deciding role in the tight 2023 snap elections.
Salazar said she suspected the FBI deleted sensitive information from Villavicencio’s phone, during their investigation into the murder, before providing the contents to Salazar’s office, which “Seño” referred to as “procedural fraud.”
Salazar may be using her office to punish a prominent former judge who acted against U.S. government law enforcement interests.
Salazar’s “Secretive” Relationship

Aleaga has said publicly that between 2021 and early 2024, he and Salazar had a “secretive” relationship. Throughout that time, he said, he exchanged messages with Salazar through an encrypted platform called Confide, which deletes messages soon after they are read. As Aleaga received messages, he used another phone to video record the incoming chats. A forensic analysis ordered by Aleaga and reviewed by Drop Site confirms the messages came to Aleaga’s personal phone.

Ahead of the October 15, 2023 second round of the snap election, Salazar visited the U.S. ambassador at his residence for a dinner, and later “Seño” texted Ronny Aleaga details. She revealed in messages to Aleaga that there were three separate FBI field offices handling the Villavicencio case: New York, Houston, and Miami.

10/9/2023 7:00:44 AM

Seño: Esto es heavy. Hay 3 oficinas de fbi investigando el tema. 3 oficinas federales. División Miami, NY y Houston.

[Translation: This is heavy. There are 3 FBI offices investigating the matter. 3 federal offices. Miami division, NY, and Houston.]

She added in a text that the U.S. was concerned the Correaistas were rising in the polls and might return to power.

Minutes later, “Seño” made the claim that Villavicencio had been a U.S. informant. She writes that seven of the suspects in Villavicencio’s death, who had been murdered days earlier in prison, were going to be sent to New York because they had “killed an informant of the U.S. government.”

10/9/2023 7:04:52 AM

Seño: Es más a los detenidos los iban a llevar a NY porque mataron a un informante del gobierno usa

[Translation: Moreover, the detainees were to be sent to NY because they killed an informant of the U.S. government.]



The rest of the article here,
https://www.intercept.com.br/2024/08/29/ecuador-us-backed-prosecutor-attacks-left/

[Ravenlocke]

Hi Bill,
I was just wondering, what do you make of this?


https://x.com/BenjaminNorton/status/1835845436017664191

1835845436017664191

https://x.com/BenjaminNorton/status/1750320521789739472

1750320521789739472

[Bill Ryan]

Hi Bill,
I was just wondering, what do you make of this?
I don't know any details. But yes, Naboa is increasingly being seen as a US puppet.

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/camilapress/status/1852064061346746776

1852064061346746776

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/wikileaks/status/1904329248229462064

1904329248229462064

https://theprisma.co.uk/2025/03/24/moral-debacle-ecuadors-agreement-with-the-mercenary-eric-prince/

Moral debacle: Ecuador’s agreement with the mercenary Erik Prince

The recent alliance of Ecuadorian president Daniel Noboa with Erik Prince, a mercenary whose companies are marked by crimes and human rights violations, evidences the desperation of a ruler who faces an imminent electoral defeat on 13 April 2025.

Since Lenín Moreno’s presidency in 2017, Ecuador has faced an economic and social debacle that has turned insecurity into its most critical problem.

Once the second safest country in Latin America, the country now leads the region in violence and has become the main supplier of drugs to Europe. This quick deterioration, indeed, the quicker genesis of a new narco-state, has laid the groundwork for implementing of what is known as the ‘shock doctrine’, where neoliberalism takes advantage of extreme situations to impose drastic policies. In the Ecuadorian case, this tragedy is not the consequence of natural disasters or wars, but of the deliberate weakening of the state’s capability.

The Noboa government’s statement of ‘internal war’ has not only failed to reduce violence, but has also led to human rights violations by the armed forces and police. Because of this failure, the president, backed by a part of the frightened population, has toughened laws and insists on a strategy of repression that clearly does not produce real solutions.

The alliance with Erik Prince, founder of the controversial Blackwater (now Academi), is perhaps the most demeaning of the government’s diversionary strategies.

Blackwater has the most extensive criminal record of its kind, for which it has been taken to court on many occasions.

A case in point: civil action No. 1:09-cv-618, filed in 2009 in a US court (available in the WikiLeaks archives). In this lawsuit, a number of Iraqis alleged a series of crimes, including murders and acts of indiscriminate violence.

Among the documented incidents is a shooting in July 2007, where a civilian car was shot at by mercenaries, resulting in the death of a nine-year-old boy and a baby girl, and several wounded.

“The gunmen shot the mother in the back as she tried to protect her three-month-old daughter, who was shot in the face,” it is described. In February 2007, a 37-year-old woman was shot in the head and killed as she “was driving to her office near the Iraqi Foreign Ministry…” That same month, three security guards were killed: “One was on a balcony, they were shot for no reason, two others came to his aid and were also shot for no reason…” In July 2005 a taxi driver was shot with “…prohibited ammunition, which explodes and causes maximum physical harm…” In August 2005 a “professor of veterinary medicine at Baghdad University” was wounded “… for no other reason than to reach the checkpoint before him”. Etc. etc.

The lawsuit accuses Erik Prince’s company of being involved in: “murder, arms smuggling, money laundering, tax evasion, kidnapping, child prostitution… destruction of evidence…”, and of failing to prevent “its employees from carrying their weapons when they are drinking alcohol or using drugs”.

Such a lawsuit could not have been brought before the Iraqi courts, because the employees of Daniel Noboa’s new friend enjoy immunity wherever they commit crimes. The same immunity that the current Ecuador has already granted to the US-Americans in the “Status of Forces Agreement” in force since February 2024.


Even in the United States, this lawsuit was dismissed in 2011 on the grounds that private contractors operating under government contracts in conflict zones are granted immunity.

For a president to turn to a criminal like Prince to offer him a government contract, without this being a scandal, means that the country’s downfall is above all a moral one. But to ask for explanations from someone who boasts of invading embassies, who applauds the deportation of his own citizens and who has not complained when they have been treated like slaves, deported in chains, is futile. The questions should rather be addressed to the patriotic Ecuadorian officers: Will they allow foreign mercenaries to dictate how to act in their own country?

Finally, an indignant reflection for every Ecuadorian who will go to the polls on 13 April: Are we going to put an end to this moral debacle that is destroying Ecuador?

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/TheGrayzoneNews/status/1909962376939479244

1909962376939479244

https://thegrayzone.com/2025/04/09/video-investigation-ecuadorian-presidents-cartel-conspiracy/

VIDEO: Bombshell investigation exposes Ecuadorian president’s cartel conspiracy
Oscar LeónApril 9, 2025

An investigative report has placed Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa at the center of a vast conspiracy to transform his government into a laundromat for transnational drug cartels.

The Grayzone spoke to Andres Duran, the journalist who broke the bombshell story, and who had to go into exile to save his own life


FfaWCYSA30w

Ecuador teeters on the edge of a narco abyss, awash in violence, and with its dollarized economy and strategic ports transformed into a cocaine highway through Guayaquil to Europe and beyond.

President Daniel Noboa, heir to a banana empire exporting $3.5 billion yearly, presides over a nation where austerity has gutted state power, leaving a void which cartels eagerly fill. Guayaquil, handling 70% of exports, is a sieve.

Over 600 kilos of cocaine linked to Noboa Trading S.A. were seized between 2020 and 2024, bound for Croatia and Italy, yet no one has been held accountable. This isn’t chaos; it’s a system, one where narco cash—billions in U.S. dollars—props up a fragile state too broke to print its own money.

To understand Ecuador’s crisis, we must first grasp the following: you can only buy drugs using cash.

Consequently, that cash is drained from the economic system into the underworld. It’s like trying to keep a bowl full when it has a hole; you need to find a way to plug it back into the system. Our economic and social systems depend on it, because to replace it, printing money would cause inflation and dilute the current supply at an alarming rate.

So the system needs that money back.

The parallels to Wachovia’s 2008 banking scandal are stark, because shutting the bank down risked economic collapse after “dark cash” ceased to flow back and caused a shortage. Ecuador’s austerity, imposed since dollarization in 2000, mirrors this: after years of deep cuts, powerless police and control agencies show a state crippled, not careless and an economic and political empire, also, “too big to fail”.

In his “war on gangs,” President Noboa has carefully avoided the Sinaloa, CJNG, and Balkan cartels. Is it possible he cut some kind of backroom deal to keep drugs and cash moving while he crushes dissent?

The 2023 assassination of the anti-corruption crusader and presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio by the cartel known as Los Lobos, clearly demonstrated the price of defying the cartels. Ecuador is now ruled by a narco-political order where cash trumps justice, and austerity ensures the state will not fight back.

Cartels exploit decades of cuts, making Ecuador a laundering hub, its dollarized veins pumping narco wealth into a global system that desperately needs it.

Andrés Durán, an Ecuadorian reporter exiled after exposing Noboa’s links, uncovered a state complicit in its own undoing.

OSCAR LEON: “Andrés, thanks for joining us.”

ANDRES DURAN: “Thank you, Oscar, thank you to The grayzone. I’m here to share what I’ve uncovered.”

OSCAR LEON: “Thank you, Andres. During the presidential debate, Luisa González grilled Daniel Noboa about his family’s company trafficking cocaine—not once, but multiple times.”

——————

LUISA GONZALES: …My question is clear—are you or are you not the owner of Noboa Trading, the company that exported cocaine-laced bananas in 2020, 2022, and 2024—while you were already president? Five prosecutors have been replaced, and still no answers.”

PRESIDENT DANIEL NOBOA: “No.”

DEBATE HOST: “Candidate Noboa, you have one minute to explain your answer.”

PRESIDENT DANIEL NOBOA: “No, I’m not the owner—but members of my family are.”

————-

OSCAR LEON: “He denies ownership, yet he said it’s his family’s. Can you unpack the importance of that?”

ANDRES DURAN: “Absolutely. My investigation—conducted with journalists across Latin America—uncovered a scandal the Ecuadorian media tried to bury. Noboa Trading, linked to President Noboa through Inmobiliaria Zeus S.A. (Ecuador) and Lanfranco Holding S.A. (Panamá), was caught red-handed trafficking cocaine: 167 kilos in 2020, 400 kilos in 2022, and 78 kilos in 2024, all en route to Italy and Croatia.

This isn’t speculative intelligence like Lasso’s León de Troya—it’s a blatant crime. And Noboa himself admitted on live TV that the company belongs to his family—a confession with explosive political, legal, and reputational consequences.”

Before the president’s slip-up during the debate, these were only suspected shell companies.

The company controls farms, trucks, and port access. On March 29, Raya magazine confirmed Durán’s findings: several police documents directly implicated Noboa Trading, making this the first case to directly link an Ecuadorian president to drug trafficking—further fueling suspicions of a cartel-state alliance.

On April 3rd, Agência Pública (Brazil) reported that Noboa and his brother own 51% of Lanfranco Holdings, which in turn owns Noboa Trading and hundreds of other companies—an apparent attempt to conceal the president’s influence, business interests, and tax responsibilities. Noboa, notably, owes $89 million in taxes and fees to the very state he governs.

This report confirms Durán’s long-standing investigations into the matter.

ANDRES DURAN: “We need to add more disturbing facts and connect the dots. First, under the current president, only $5,677 was allocated to the National Police’s Ports and Airports Intelligence Unit—just over $5,000! This is the budget given to one of the most critical units fighting organized crime in the country’s ports.

Second, regarding the 2022 case: at the time, Daniel Noboa was an assembly member representing Santa Elena province. He asked his top advisor to act as the legal representative for the only defendant in all three Noboa Trading cases—Mr. José Luis R. That advisor is now the current Minister of Health, Mr. Edgar José Lama Von Buchwald.”

Durán points out that just a month after the arrest, the case was closed when State Attorney Julio Sánchez, who has been linked to the Los Choneros gang, refused to press charges against José Luis R., whose sole job is to be the legal representative responsible for the company, during container inspections. Consequently, José Luis R. was legally deemed not responsible for the “drug contamination.” Yet despite this, the case was closed, and no investigation was launched to identify the actual perpetrators.

ANDRES DURAN: “So while Noboa publicly claims, ‘It’s not my company, I have nothing to do with it… but my relatives are involved,’ we must ask: if it’s not his company, why did he assign his top advisor to defend the sole suspect in the case?

At the time, Lama Von Buchwald was Noboa’s closest advisor, and yet he became the legal representative for the only defendant in the Noboa Trading cocaine trafficking cases—despite being a public official, which legally disqualified him from serving as a defense attorney.

These are just some of the irregularities. And to all that, let’s add another name: Ms. María Beatriz Moreno Heredia—accused of illicit trafficking of controlled substances. What exactly was her role?”

María Beatriz Moreno, national president of ADN, has been charged, along with four others, with the alleged crime of illicit trafficking of controlled substances since August 2024, when she was arrested in connection with the seizure of 1.3 tons of cocaine. Moreno, who was released the same night, also serves as manager of other companies in the Noboa group, such as Nobexport S.A and even Vinazín S.A, and Agroindustrias San Esteban C.A., which have been recently involved in corruption scandals.

————————————-

LUISA GONZÁLEZ: “Dear Ecuadorians, go on social media right now and look into Noboa Trading—drugs have been exported in banana boxes from the Noboa company, owned by Mr. Daniel Noboa, to Croatia and Italy. Drugs! So, the one making deals with you… or the mafias is you, Mr. Noboa.

Let’s talk about money laundering—according to that same leaked chat, drug money is being laundered in banks today, something I will fight. And let’s not forget: your family owns banks too.

Now let me ask: who is financing political parties and campaigns with drug money? You are. María Moreno, linked to drug trafficking, is president of your party and manages nine companies within the Noboa Group. Stop lying to the Ecuadorian people.”

DEBATE HOST: “Time for candidate Noboa’s second interpellation. You have 30 seconds.”

PRESIDENT DANIEL NOBOA: “Luisa, you’re a lawyer—you should know that if a company alerts the National Police about contamination, it means it’s cooperating, not complicit, as you claim. Meanwhile, your friends are still walking free. Do you recognize Maduro’s dictatorship, Luisa?”

DEBATE HOST: “Candidate González: You have one minute to respond.”

LUISA GONZÁLEZ: “Once again: Noboa Trading—an Ecuadorian company owned by Mr. Noboa—was caught exporting drugs in banana boxes in 2020, 2022, and 2024. Five prosecutors have been replaced. To this day, the case remains unresolved.

The real pact with mafias is yours. And you still haven’t answered: why is the president of your political party involved in a drug trafficking case? The Prosecutor’s Office removed her name from the system, and only after public outcry did they restore the data.

So again: who’s funding political campaigns with drug money?

———————————-

A few days after the debate, María Moreno was acquitted.

ANDRES DURAN: “There’s also the case of the manager of Transmabo, who has been charged twice with cocaine trafficking. So, are these just coincidences? Absolutely not. These are not coincidences—because Noboa has had the power to tighten control over the banana inspection system, UniBanano, and he hasn’t.

In fact, his Minister of Agriculture has been complicit in the so-called ‘drug contamination’ that several banana-exporting companies in Ecuador face on a daily basis.”

OSCAR LEON: “Noboa’s defenders would say someone else contaminated his containers, not him. What’s your response to that?”

ANDRES DURAN: “That excuse doesn’t hold. These containers have refrigeration recorders that track temperature 24/7 from Guayaquil to Europe—any opening is logged. Yet in none of these cases was the data checked. Trucks are equipped with GPS, but no stop records were reviewed. Noboa Trading owns the entire chain—farms, transport, and Blasti S.A.’s container yards. Hiding 400 kilos requires at least 15 people working in coordination—it’s not the work of a lone saboteur. No forensic investigation was conducted. The omission screams complicity.”

A single individual—legally declared incapacitated—was charged in all three cases, which remain unresolved. What’s alarming is that those responsible for contaminating the shipments have not been investigated or arrested. As Durán points out, this type of concealed contamination requires heavy industrial machinery and a full-scale metalworking operation—something impossible to hide. We’re not talking about a jute sack tucked away somewhere.

ANDRES DURAN: “To do that kind of thing, you need at least 15 people, at least 15 people. That is, 15 people gained access to the yard, the truck, or the container depot belonging to the company, Blasti Sociedad Anónima Property of the President of the Republic and his family, to carry out the contamination. 15 people who weren’t identified by security, 15 people who entered the house like Peter in his own house.”

Durán points out that amid a falling commodity market, the contrast in returns for investors is stark: per icontainers a container with 29 tons of bananas is worth between $12000 and $18000, while a single container carrying a ton of cocaine is worth around 37 million, according to (Europol/UNODC).

Given that only 10% of containers are searched, the numbers seem to speak for themselves—especially in a system built on impunity.

On January 24 in Madrid, President Daniel Noboa hosted a lavish party at a Japanese restaurant—a night of excess during which he was reportedly seen throwing money in the air and calling for a celebration.

Spain’s Ministry of the Interior later filed a formal complaint over the use of official vehicles during the event. The Ecuadorian government denied the report as ‘false.’

However, Spain’s El Debate revealed that the $15,000 in cash used to pay for the party came from León Van Parys, a fruit importer working with Noboa Trading, who allegedly labeled the payment as ‘an advance’ after covering expenses for Noboa’s assistant. Van Parys, is a European banana partner of the Noboa Group.

Despite portraying himself as a conservative family man, Noboa is known for a rather liberal private life. During the presidential debate, he was even challenged to take an anti-doping test. Instead of addressing the request, he ignored it and quickly changed the subject.

———————————-

LUISA GONZALES: “I invite you, let’s call, let’s have someone give us a drug test when we leave here. And to everyone, clearly, we want to educate our young people”.

Between 2005 and 2010, U.S. federal agents investigated Wachovia for laundering $378.4 billion for drug cartels. The bank was fined just $160 million—a mere fraction of the money moved.

The Noboa Trading case follows a similar playbook: lax oversight, massive laundering, and a symbolic penalty that keeps the system intact.

Ecuador’s dollarized economy, weakened by years of austerity, may rely on this illicit cash flow even more than Wachovia once did. Government estimates place cartel money circulating in the country between $3 TO $5 BILLION ANNUALLY, though the true figures remain unverifiable.

Against this backdrop, Noboa’s $5,677 budget for the Port Intelligence Police is laughable. And yet, the pipeline remains wide open—just as Wachovia’s slap on the wrist preserved its liquidity.

Ecuador now resembles a bank “too geopolitically big to fail,” recycling narco-dollars into a state that can’t print its own currency—ultimately feeding the global financial system.

———————————-

OSCAR LEON: “We’ve seen ties between the government, the Balkan Mafia, and the Mexican Cartels under Lasso. Does that continue with Noboa?”

ANDRES DURAN: “No. What’s happening in Ecuador is a shift—a transfer of power from the financial mafia to the exporting mafia. That’s the reality.

If you examine the León de Troya report closely, you’ll find even more—like the unresolved case of Banco de Guayaquil, former President Guillermo Lasso’s bank, which facilitated money transfers for the Albanian mafia.

I have capital integration certificates linked to several individuals connected to the Albanian mafia, some of whom also have ties to Banco Litoral, owned by the Noboa family. These connections paint a grim picture of the Ecuadorian state. We must continue digging to expose those involved in organized crime—whether through banking or the Banana Control System.

And who orchestrated the deregulation and dismantling of that system? Bernardo Manzano. While serving as Guillermo Lasso’s Minister of Agriculture, he also held a senior role in the Noboa Group, where he worked for nearly 18 years.

These facts speak volumes about the current administration. In the end, they turned me—a journalist—into an exile.”

Noboa’s rise is closely linked to the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. Although the blame initially fell on Correísta candidate Luisa González, authorities knew from the outset that the Los Lobos gang was responsible. Leaked chats from Attorney General Diana Salazar, revealed in August 2024, confirmed this. The damage to González’s campaign cleared the way for Noboa to present himself as a safer, alternative candidate.

The circumstances of the murder point to state complicity. Villavicencio’s armored vehicle arrived late to the designated back exit, yet he was inexplicably directed through the crowded front entrance with only two guards. Additional agents assigned after previous threats did nothing. Frame-by-frame footage shows a gunshot fired near his own escorts. He was also alone in the car—violating established security protocols.

The lead gunman later died in police custody, raising suspicions of a cover-up. Just hours afterward, police raided three locations and arrested six Colombians carrying weapons and phones allegedly linked to opposition politicians. Was this a swift law enforcement response—or a carefully staged operation?

Los Lobos, affiliated with Mexico’s CJNG and Balkan cartels, claimed responsibility for the murder. By October 2023, the rest of the hitmen had been silenced in prison. Daniel Noboa, who was sworn in on November 23, 2023, now controls Ecuador’s banana exports, military, police, and port infrastructure, all critical to cocaine shipments to Europe, yet trafficking has not been curbed, not even at his own companies.

Villavicencio’s plans to militarize ports and build a supermax prison directly threatened these routes. Even Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador hinted at state involvement.

On January 7th 2024, Los Choneros leader “Fito” escaped from prison. Just 2 days later, Los Lobos staged a violent takeover of TC Televisión in January 2024. The incident gave Noboa justification to declare a “war on gangs,” though curiously, this campaign excluded cartels and money-laundering networks.

Noboa’s selective crackdown on street gangs—while his family’s banana empire is repeatedly tied to cocaine shipments—suggests either deep complicity or profound helplessness within a cartel-state structure inherited from the Lasso administration.

Former President Guillermo Lasso’s brother-in-law, Danilo Carrera, collaborated with Rubén Cherres, a figure linked to the Albanian narco-network. Cherres operated with impunity until his assassination in 2023. The León de Troya report exposed wide-ranging connections to drug trafficking, influence peddling, and high-level corruption—prompting three separate investigations.

Despite U.S. lawmakers urging President Biden to respond to Ecuador’s growing cartel ties, no meaningful action followed. Years of austerity created a power vacuum now occupied by organized crime. Under Noboa’s leadership, the state appears either unwilling—or unable—to regain control.

OSCAR LEON: “You faced threats and exile. What happened?”

ANDRES DURAN: “It began in October 2023, at the Esmeraldas Provincial Authority when I investigated property irregularities involving the Prefect. This woman had several inconsistencies in her assets. After posting about them at least three times, I received threats.

As a result, I was placed in the Victim and Witness Protection System—until four days before the first election round, when they expelled me without explanation. They claimed I violated protocol, which only involved sporadic home visits to check if I was alive.

In 2024, after exposing that Dritan Gjika’s companies were still operating and laundering money through mining, I received another threat—a call from the Albanian mafia. Yet, the State and the protection system did nothing. Instead, legal harassment against me continued.”

Dritan Gjika, an Albanian national, arrived in Guayaquil in 2009 and, over 13 years, frequently traveled across Europe and Latin America. He built a network of 71 companies in Ecuador, spanning construction, agriculture, and real estate—allegedly to facilitate drug trafficking and money laundering.

By December 2022, Gjika fled to Dubai and remains a fugitive with an active Interpol red notice. Investigators found that his companies, many of which should be closed, are still operating as fronts for illicit activities, extending his influence across Ecuador’s economy.\

ANDRES DURAN: “I got a lawsuit from alleged operators of a very dangerous criminal gang called Los Choneros. These brothers from the province of Los Ríos, whom I hadn’t even mentioned—the plaintiff wasn’t even part of my investigation. Later we learned that the inmate who sued me was, at the time, the romantic partner of Diana Salazar, the Attorney General of the Nation.”

Attorney General Diana Salazar stands at the center of several growing scandals. Her reputation came under fire after leaked chats—first reported in The Grayzone’s August 2024 exposé—suggested she acts as a pawn of the U.S. Embassy and Ecuador’s right-wing elite.

The messages allegedly show her coordinating with U.S. agents to shield allies of Presidents Guillermo Lasso and Daniel Noboa, while aggressively targeting opposition figures.

Critics claim that Salazar’s selective justice, backed by chats that suggest US pressure, guarantees impunity for the right, consolidating a political order where Noboa thrives and leftist dissent is crushed.

OSCAR LEON: “It seems that in Ecuador, drug trafficking and money laundering sustain both society and the global banking system, while the so-called war on gangs targets low-level operatives, disposable foot soldiers easily replaced, while ignoring the cartels and money laundering structures.”

ANDRES DURÁN: “When President Guillermo Lasso took office, he was already compromised. The National Police had been monitoring active members of the Albanian mafia, including one of his campaign financiers, Rubén Lleras. Lleras’ ties to Rubén Cherres—and through him, to Albanian mafia leader Dritan Gjika—show that these criminal networks extend far beyond politics. We’re not just talking about narco-politicians; these are businessmen, especially in the financial sector. The mafia even had direct links to one of Ecuador’s major banks.

Another major issue is the collapse of the country’s security policy. U.S. Ambassador Michael Fitzpatrick publicly stated that Ecuador has ‘narco-generals, narco-judges, and narco-prosecutors,’ yet no investigations followed. I was the first journalist to file a criminal complaint against four National Police generals for covering up the ‘León de Troya’ report, which exposed Lasso’s ties to the Albanian mafia. Nothing was done.

Meanwhile, the government accelerated deregulation in the banana industry—a known conduit for drug trafficking. Executive decrees enabled fraudulent export quotas, including the infamous ‘F code’ used to smuggle cocaine in banana shipments. Criminal organizations infiltrated security forces, as revealed in the Metástasis case, where two police officers involved in money laundering remain on active duty.

Ecuador’s dollarized economy makes it an ideal hub for laundering illicit funds, yet the lack of financial oversight continues to fuel corruption and violence. This isn’t mere negligence—it points to systemic complicity.”

While he was able to escape, Durán’s fate somehow threatened to mirror Villavicencio’s. Endanger the cash machine, and you’re gone.

The machine never stops. Since 2018, Ecuador has become a key node in the global cocaine trade. At least 17 reported seizures of drug-laced fruit containers—mostly bananas—have occurred across destinations like Russia, Spain, Italy, Germany, Turkey, and the U.S., totaling over 38 tons where quantities are disclosed (Reuters, BBC, Nexta TV, EL PAÍS English, Revista RAYA).

These busts reveal how Ecuador’s banana exports have been systematically used to smuggle cocaine. Highlights include 257 kilos seized in Russia in 2018, 3 tons in Ecuador headed to Russia in 2023, 6.2 tons in Posorja in 2024, and a record-breaking 13 tons intercepted in Spain that same year. Most likely, these reports only scratch the surface. Smaller domestic seizures and interceptions in transit hubs like Panama often go unreported.

And while Luisa González mentioned only 3 cases, out of the 17 documented cases, at least five are directly linked to the Noboa Group—through Noboa Trading S.A. or affiliates like Bonita Banana.

Five Noboa Group-Linked Cases Since 2018 with Linksr

2020 – 167 kg to Italy (Noboa Trading S.A.)

Details: 167 kg of cocaine was seized in banana containers shipped by Noboa Trading S.A., intercepted at an Italian port (likely Gioia Tauro or Livorno). Part of Andrés Durán’s 600+ kg total for Noboa since 2020.

June 30, 2022 – 260 kg at Naportec, Guayaquil (Noboa Trading S.A.)

Details: 260 kg of cocaine was found in Noboa Trading banana containers at Naportec port, Guayaquil, tied to José Luis Rivera Baquerizo’s arrest (later released). Pre-export, intended for Europe.

2022 – 400 kg to Croatia (Noboa Trading S.A.)

Details: 400 kg of cocaine was seized in Noboa Trading banana shipments at a Croatian port (likely Rijeka), within Durán’s 600+ kg tally.

2024 – 600 kg to Mersin, Turkey (Banana Bonita)

Details: 600 kg of cocaine was seized at Mersin port in banana boxes branded “Banana Bonita,” a Noboa Group entity under Fruit Shippers Ltd., by Turkish customs.

March 23, 2025 – 324 kg to Italy (Noboa Trading S.A.)

Details: 324 kg of cocaine was seized in Ecuador, destined for Italy in Noboa Trading banana boxes, confirmed by police docs and ADN40. X posts (@radiolacalle) support this.

Sources: Revista RAYA, “Empresa de familia de Daniel Noboa, presidente de Ecuador, involucrada en tráfico de cocaína a Europa,” March 25, 2025.
Link: https://revistaraya.com/empresa-de-familia-de-daniel-noboa-presidente-de-ecuador-involucrada-en-trafico-de-cocaina-a-europa/

These account for 1,751 kilos of cocaine seized between 2020 and 2025, as confirmed by ADN40, Revista RAYA & Andrés Durán.

The remaining 12 busts involve other exporters or unnamed firms. The data suggests that Noboa, whether by action or omission, is deeply involved, but not alone, in Ecuador’s narco-export network.

To understand the scale, consider this: Guayaquil—handling 70% of Ecuador’s exports—moved around 325,000 banana containers in 2023 alone (AP News, September 3, 2023).

Between 2018 and 2023, that likely totals 2 to 2.5 million containers. Yet fewer than 40 containers have been caught with cocaine. That’s less than 0.002%—virtually nothing.

Even factoring in possible unreported seizures—some estimates suggest 80 tons in 2024 alone, or roughly 4,000 containers—the interception rate might rise to 1 in 500. Still, the odds overwhelmingly favor traffickers. The scale of Guayaquil’s shipping volume offers cover, allowing narco-exports to flow with near impunity.

Ecuador’s ports are a hub for world cocaine trafficking, while its dolarized, deregulated system is a laundering paradise, feeding a global need for narco cash. A well-oiled system, unpunished, essential, and deadly.

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/TheInsiderPaper/status/1913563599274197487

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https://x.com/AJEnglish/status/1913638731829121160

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https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/4/19/ecuador-accuses-bad-losers-of-assassination-plot-against-president-noboa

Ecuador accuses ‘bad losers’ of assassination plot against President Noboa
Government says on ‘maximum alert’ due to bid by rivals to kill re-elected president.

Ecuador has declared a state of “maximum alert” over an assassination plot against President Daniel Noboa.

In a statement entitled “The revenge of the bad losers” issued early on Saturday, the Ministry of Government said “all security protocols have been activated” due to the threat emanating from “criminal organizations, in collusion with political groups defeated at the polls”.

Noboa was re-elected earlier this month, promising to continue a crackdown on rampant cartel violence that plagues Ecuador. His opponent, Luisa Gonzalez, has continued to insist that the vote was fraudulent.

The statement follows the leak earlier this week of a military intelligence report that said assassins entering Ecuador from Mexico and other countries planned to carry out “terrorist attacks” against Noboa.

The government statement alleges that “bad losers” from the recent April 13 election hired sicarios (hitmen) from Mexico and other countries in a bid to destabilise the government.

“The state is on high alert. All security protocols have been activated, and the Armed Forces, the National Police, and intelligence agencies are working together,” it reads.

Quoting intelligence sources, it reports “the plotting of an assassination, terrorist attacks, and street riots through violent demonstrations”.

The plot targets “the life of the President of the Republic, state authorities, and public officials”, it said.

Although not offering names, the statement appears to accuse the Citizen Revolution Movement (RC5) of which Gonzalez is leader and that is linked to former President Rafael Correa, of planning the attack.

Media reports in Ecuador also suggested that support may have been forthcoming from foreign leaders including President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico.

Amid a diplomatic fallout that launched last year, Sheinbaum announced on Wednesday that Mexico would not restore diplomatic relations with Ecuador as long as Noboa remains in office.

The Mexican leader had publicly supported Gonzalez in the election.

The reported assassination plot comes amid a pattern of escalating violence in Ecuador, including the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio in 2023.

Rampant violence by criminal gangs involved in trafficking from the world’s biggest cocaine producers, neighbouring Peru and Colombia, has also blighted the country.

In the latest instance, at least 12 people were killed on Friday in an attack in the coastal province of Manabi as gunmen dressed in fake military uniforms opened fire on spectators at a cockfight.

Noboa declared an “internal armed conflict” to combat drug gangs in January last year, reflecting the country’s ongoing struggle with organised crime.

Alongside a promise to boost the country’s flagging economy, that was seen as key to helping him win re-election earlier this month.

However, Gonzalez, who had entered the run-off vote following a tight first round in February and claimed “grotesque” fraud, said late on Wednesday that she plans to contest the results with the elections authority.

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/KawsachunNews/status/1912537401383133368

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https://x.com/camilapress/status/1912976726860128501

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[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/KawsachunNews/status/1911703268784222292

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https://kawsachun.com/noboa-commits-grotesque-electoral-fraud-in-ecuadors-runoff-vote/

Noboa commits "grotesque electoral fraud" in Ecuador's runoff vote

Presidential candidate of the Citizens’ Revolution Luisa González addresses a crowd of supporters on election night in Quito.

Luisa González is contesting the National Electoral Council (CNE) vote count and demanding a recount following Sunday’s presidential election runoff. The presidential candidate of the Citizens’ Revolution addressed supporters who packed the campaign house on Reina Victoria Avenue, in the city of Quito.

She thanked those who support her political project and was energetic in expressing that the Citizens’ Revolution has always recognized defeats at the polls, but not this time, “On behalf of the people we represent we do not recognize the results presented by the CNE”.

“I refuse to believe that there is a people that prefers lies before the truth, violence before peace and unity, I categorically refuse to believe it… we are going to ask for a recount and that the ballot boxes be opened”.

Figures shown on the official website of the CNE positioned González trailing incumbent Daniel Noboa by 11-points, with 96.94% of votes counted—despite that exit polls showed the candidates with a margin of only four points, and at least one widely published exit poll gave González the victory.

At the same time, nearly all voter intention surveys conducted in the weeks leading up to the vote showed González poised to win the runoff.

Her campaign received many key endorsements ahead of the second round, including from the Pachakutik indigenous movement, whose candidate Leonidas Iza came in third in the first round.

Noboa, who’s name has become associated with corruption and narco-trafficking, took drastic measures alongside the CNE authorities in the final days before the contest, including decreeing a state of exception in seven provinces, closing land borders, preventing international observers from entering the country, suspending the vote for Ecuadorians in Venezuela, and relocating polling stations just hours before the vote.

Luisa’s supporters chanted “fraud” and “you are not alone”, during her speech.

The candidate denounced the abuse of power exercised by the current president, who never asked for a license to campaign, and decreed a state of exception, among other irregularities.

“There are about 11 statistical investigations, 11 surveys in which even those of the government itself gave us the victory, the exit poll gave us the victory, then “I denounce before the people, before the world that Ecuador is living a dictatorship and we are facing the worst and most grotesque electoral fraud in the history of the Republic of Ecuador” she expressed with confidence.

The candidate emphasized how little credible is the idea that votes had not increased since the first round of elections in February and called for unity and to be attentive to what happens in the coming hours. “We will continue in the fight” she concluded.

Earlier in the day, left-wing and progressive parties in Ecuador expressed concern over the series of irregularities by the National Electoral Council (CNE) and the government of presidential candidate Daniel Noboa, implemented just hours before the vote.

The Antifascist International Ecuador Chapter and the International Collective of CELAC Social denounced fraud in Sunday’s vote and called for active and organized resistance by Ecuadorians. A statement released by the Executive Secretariat of the Bolivarian Alliance, ALBA-TCP, stated that irregularities in Ecuador’s runoff election suggests “the execution of a clear premeditated electoral fraud.”

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/ProgIntl/status/1912548830006112317

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[Bill Ryan]

https://x.com/KawsachunNews/status/1911703268784222292

Noboa commits "grotesque electoral fraud" in Ecuador's runoff voteYes, everyone's talking about it. The opinion polls were too close to call, and many (self included) were expecting Luisa Gonzalez to win, as her support was visibly growing every day as the election approached. But suddenly Noboa (who is a US puppet) somehow won by a landslide.

No-one's buying it... but fraud may be as impossible to prove legally as it was in the US in 2020. :flower: