Protesters condemned the policies of President Moreno, who has been accused of betraying the programs that won him the country’s last election.
Thousands of Ecuadoreans marched in the country’s capital city of Quito Thursday to condemn a series of economic, social and foreign policy decisions taken by the government of President Lenin Moreno. Among the policies, which came under harsh criticism, were the government’s austerity measures, an increase in the price of gasoline; tax measures, which offered debt forgiveness for wealthy individuals and companies; and Moreno’s closeness with the United States government on foreign and domestic policy.
ANALYSIS:
‘Self-Sabotage:’ Ecuador Embraces Neoliberal Reform and US Interests
The protests, which called for greater attention to be paid to the impact of government policy on citizens and workers in the public sector, were organized by the Citizen’s Revolution movement, an offshoot of ruling party Alianza Pais, that remains loyal to former President Rafael Correa. The protesters condemned Moreno’s betrayal of the party’s core ideology and the adoption of a political agenda commonly associated with Ecuador’s right-wing political parties.
Ecuador’s worsening economic climate, the government’s pledge to renew military cooperation with the U.S., the murder of an Afro-Ecuadorean by state security forces, and the government’s response to an international ruling favoring Chevron-Texaco have also led to the fomenting of distrust in government policy and the mobilization of groups, who have traditionally declared no political affiliation.
“I have come because of the discomfort that persists in Ecuador due to Moreno’s policies. He betrayed those who voted for him. … I am here not with a political party, but as a citizen who is fighting for his rights,” Mauricio Rubio told teleSUR.
Lenin Moreno was elected with a political platform based on the continuation of his predecessor’s policies. Shortly after he was sworn in, Moreno withdrew support for longstanding government programs and policies and aligned more closely with the Alianza Pais’ political opposition.
The police estimated 5,000 people to have participated in the march.
#KolmenaLenínChao pic.twitter.com/Xi5724QdKG
— Lolita (@luly_alban) September 14, 2018
During the march, participants carried signs calling Lenin Moreno a traitor and demanding his resignation. They also called for an end to the U.S. military presence in the country and cooperation with state security forces.
“Forgiveness for tax evaders: US$4.5 billion. Assault against the people” and “Ecuador loves life and peace. Get out, gringos. Enough war” were among the complaints and demands.
Many also carried images of Correa and decried what they call the “political persecution” against him. Correa, who lives in Belgium, is currently facing a preventative detention order for having allegedly ordered the kidnapping of an opposition legislator in 2013.
The Moreno government sought an Interpol red notice against Correa, but it wasn’t approved.
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Things to ponder
While our media prostitutes, many Hollywood celebs, and politicians and opinion shapers make so much noise about the still to be demonstrated damage done by the Russkies to our nonexistent democracy, this is what the sanctimonious US government has done overseas just since the close of World War 2. And this is what we know about. Many other misdeeds are yet to be revealed or documented.
Parting shot—a word from the editors
The Best Definition of Donald Trump We Have Found
In his zeal to prove to his antagonists in the War Party that he is as bloodthirsty as their champion, Hillary Clinton, and more manly than Barack Obama, Trump seems to have gone “play-crazy” — acting like an unpredictable maniac in order to terrorize the Russians into forcing some kind of dramatic concessions from their Syrian allies, or risk Armageddon.However, the “play-crazy” gambit can only work when the leader is, in real life, a disciplined and intelligent actor, who knows precisely what actual boundaries must not be crossed. That ain’t Donald Trump — a pitifully shallow and ill-disciplined man, emotionally handicapped by obscene privilege and cognitively crippled by white American chauvinism. By pushing Trump into a corner and demanding that he display his most bellicose self, or be ceaselessly mocked as a “puppet” and minion of Russia, a lesser power, the War Party and its media and clandestine services have created a perfect storm of mayhem that may consume us all.— Glen Ford, Editor in Chief, Black Agenda Report
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