Conaie: the indigenous movement that shakes L …

Aboriginal organizations occupy a central place in the days of protest in Ecuador against President Lenin Moreno. The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie) It brings together 14 nationalities and about 15,000 indigenous peoples. Since its inception in 1980, it has played a central role in Ecuadorian politics as part of movements that overthrew presidents. Today, they tell the government that the protests they will not stop until the IMF leaves the country.

Ecuador's indigenous population represents about 25 percent of its 17.3 million inhabitants, but in real terms, 80 percent of the total population is Métis. It is only since the creation of Conaie in 1980 that they found a representation that placed them Determine the actors of Ecuadorian political map. In 1986, they had their first congress where they presented their historic demands: consolidation of indigenous peoples and nationalities of Ecuador, struggle for land and indigenous territories, struggle for their own education (intercultural bilingual), fight against the oppression of civil and ecclesial authorities, struggle for the cultural identity of indigenous peoples, against colonialism and for the dignity of indigenous peoples and nationalities.

In 1990, Conaie organized the first major indigenous uprising in Ecuador, which mobilized thousands of people in Quito. The natives made their organization feel strong and they got 2.3 million acres. In 1995, they created a left-wing political arm called the Pachakutik Multinational Unit Movement. Today, this party occupies five of the 137 seats in Parliament, although they have managed to obtain up to 10% of seats. Before measures deemed unpopular, Conaie had organized demonstrations which, together with other sectors, had led to the overthrow of former Abdalá Bucaram (1997), Jamil Mahuad (2000) and Lucio Gutiérrez (2005).

Conaie is not a traditional trade union front, but she is responsible for organizing the government of all the indigenous peoples who make it up, she says in dialogue with Page / 12 the political scientist Soledad Vogliano, member of the Confederation between 2009 and 2018. "Claiming the Plurinational State Recognized by the Ecuadorian Constitution of 2008. This gave them certain powers for the exercise of government on their lands, such as the administration of justice and community-based land management, "explained Vogliano. During the uprisings of the 90s, the currency of Conaie was: "Only for the Indians", expressing the need for claims beyond those of the peoples of origin. "It's an indigenous but not indigenistic movement. That's why he gets a great support from the people of Quito. It is a characteristic of the indigenous Ecuadorian movement and it is not seen in other countries, "says the political scientist. During the
repressive day on Wednesday
they saw that brigades of university students summoned by themselves took to the streets to treat the wounded. "His premises since 1994 are a critique of capitalist society. They have also developed proposals for building a life in community, in the paradigm of living well between man and nature. They express a strong sense of community", Explains Vogliano.

During the constitutional reform of 2008, Conaie played a central role in accompanying the government of Rafael Correa. "There were advanced rights, such as the declaration of the Plurinational State. The human right to water and the social and solidarity economy as a guiding principle of the Ecuadorian economy have also been proclaimed, "says Vogliano. Thereafter, during the institutionalization of these rights, a bankruptcy occurs at Correa. The permission granted by the former Ecuadorian president to extractivate indigenous lands provoked a definitive break.

68% of the poor in Ecuador are indigenous. The package of measures promoted by Lenín Moreno, as a result of IMF revenues, directly affects this social sector. The increase in the price of public transport has consequences for the indigenous populations, because it is the most used means of transport in Ecuador. This was expressed during Wednesday's protests in Quito. "In my case, we are seven brothers and the downloaded passages are a platinum.In addition, the passage in the villages costs more," said Lucrecia Caiza, a native woman from Otavalo, in the south of the country. 39; Ecuador. Dedicated to agricultural and commercial activities, the increases will also affect the price of what they produce, usually monocultures of potatoes, wheat, barley, onions, broccoli or carrots. Harvest is transported to markets by secondary or tertiary roads and transported by diesel trucks and small trucks. It was the cheapest fuel up to the rises decreed by Moreno.

It is estimated that 20,000 members of Conaie were in the street during the day of Wednesday in Quito. Today, they continued to meet in open assembly, reluctant to accept the dialogue convened by Moreno, while he continued to repress. "We are in Quito to reject a capitalist economic model going against different levels of the economy," said Jorge Herrera, former director of Conaie. "It will not stop until the IMF is created," they said.

Report: Juan Manuel Boccacci