Ecuador imposes curfew in face of growing violence
President Lenin Moreno sends in army to patrol the streets of Quito as austerity unrest worsens
‘Quito had a very hard day, of much tension and fear for its citizens.what we saw today we haven’t seen before.’
ECUADOR’S army patrolled the streets of the capital yesterday, as the government prepared for talks with indigenous leaders to end more than a week of protests.
The unrest broke out earlier this month over president Lenin Moreno’s removal of fuel subsidies, and has led to protesters attacking government buildings and media offices.
After meeting with both sides, the United Nations and Ecuadorian Bishops’ Conference said negotiations would begin last night.
The announcement came after Mr Moreno offered possible concessions in the economic package that sparked the protests, though he didn’t retract his decision to remove fuel subsidies.
“We trust in the will of everyone to establish a dialogue in good faith, and find a quick solution to the complex situation the country is experiencing,” said a statement from the UN’S office in Ecuador.
On Saturday night, soldiers took back control of the park and streets leading to the National Assembly, as well as the national comptroller’s office, which had been broken into by protesters.
Mr Moreno said the military would enforce a round-the-clock curfew in Quito, and around critical infrastructure such as power stations and hospitals, in response to the day’s violence.
It was the first time such action had been imposed since a series of coups in the Sixties and Seventies.
“We are going to restore order in all of Ecuador,” Mr Moreno said.
The president said his government would study ways to ensure resources reached rural areas, offering compensation to those who lost earnings owing to the recent upheaval.
“We’ll negotiate with those who have decided to do so,” Mr Moreno said in remarks broadcast on radio and television.
For many in Ecuador, which had become one of the safest and most stable countries in the region, the violence has been a terrifying shock.
“Quito had a very hard day, of much tension and fear for its citizens,” said Maria Paula Romo, the interior minister. “What we saw today we haven’t seen before.”
About two hours after the comptroller’s office was attacked, a group of several dozen masked men entered the grounds of the offices of the private Teleamazonas television station in northern Quito, setting fires and trying to break into the building, where about 20 employees were trapped.
The offices of the El Comercio newspaper in southern Quito were also attacked, with the building’s security guards seized and bound before police arrived and drove off the assailants.
After hours of chaos, Mr Moreno appeared on national television alongside his vice president and defence minister to announce he was ordering people indoors and the army on to the streets.
Mr Moreno said the masked protesters had nothing to do with the thousands of indigenous Ecuadorians who had protested for more than a week over a sudden rise in fuel prices, as part of an International Monetary Fundbacked austerity package. He blamed the violence on drug traffickers, organised crime and followers of former president Rafael Correa, who has denied allegations that he is trying to topple Mr Moreno’s government.