Ecuador to cancel austerity package

QUITO, Ecuador — Thousands of indigenous and student protesters celebrated their victory over the government of Ecuador on Monday by clearing the streets of the capital of debris, following an agreement to cancel an economic austerity package that had ignited 11 days of protests that left at least seven dead and more than 1,000 injured.

The agreement between President Lenin Moreno and indigenous leaders late last Sunday concluded a weekend of violence that included fires in the capital, Quito, and attacks by masked protesters on news outlets and the national auditor’s office. Mr. Moreno instituted a curfew and ordered the army to take control of public places, but explosions and clouds of tear gas engulfed much of the city Sunday afternoon.

The demonstrations had threatened the stability of Mr. Moreno’s government. He was forced to balance demands of the indigenous protesters, whose opposition has contributed to the downfall of three modern presidents, and those imposed by the International Monetary Fund as a condition for a $4.2 billion loan to shore up the country’s finances.

Under increasing pressure, Mr. Moreno pledged to withdraw from an International Monetary Fundbacked program, known as Decree 883, that raised fuel prices. In return, the indigenous leaders agreed to call off more protests.

Celebrations broke out after the announcement, with honking cars roaming the streets Monday, their passengers shouting, banging pots and waving Ecuadorean flags. By afternoon, indigenous protesters had joined municipal workers and students in cleaning the streets of burned tires and loose cobblestones, and then piled into buses to return to their highland villages.