Ecuadorian opposition leader asks for evidence on illegal money

A day after the dialogue tables between the Ecuadorian government and the indigenous movement are installed, the leader of these organizations asked President Guillermo Lasso to prove the accusations about alleged drug trafficking financing of the demonstrations that recently paralyzed the country.

Between June 13 and 30, the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (CONAIE), the largest of its kind, led a violent protest in demand for the reduction of fuel prices, a larger budget for health and education, and the fixing of prices for agricultural products.

“Tell the national government to stop being irresponsible, to prove what it is accusing,” said Leonidas Iza, president of CONAIE, on Tuesday, alluding to Lasso’s statements, who in previous days affirmed that the protests “would have cost 15 million (of dollars) and the third actor is drug trafficking.”

It was the first reaction of the indigenous leader after the statements disclosed by official officials.

Iza, in statements to a local radio, also denied that her organizations have a violent clash group and stated that “they also intend to distort the struggle, the community guards, which have been there all their lives, as if it were a military political body.” .

“What has been won in the streets, in the struggle, intends to damage with false accusations… generating defamation,” the leader rebuked, who despite the tension that arose, confirmed that they will attend the installation of the dialogue scheduled for this Wednesday and in which the Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference will participate as guarantor.

He added that “attached to the democratic spirit” all the possibilities of dialogue at the tables will be exhausted, but he did not rule out the willingness to return to the streets.

The Minister of the Interior, Patricio Carrillo, consulted on the matter during a press conference, responded on Tuesday that “it has been put into public debate how the marches can be financed and who is behind this financing.”

He mentioned that during the mobilizations there were routes in the coastal zone that remained open, so “there is a possibility that illegal merchandise could be mobilized”, while the police were carrying out other activities. He did not offer evidence or give further details.

“This way of distracting is a mechanism that organized crime takes advantage of,” explained the minister. He also stated that the alleged influence of these illegal groups in “some autonomous governments” should be investigated and added that nine tons of drugs were seized during the mobilizations, all of which should be investigated.

The declarations of both parties tense the atmosphere on the eve of the dialogues being installed. The political analyst and editorialist, Hernán Pérez Loose, was “skeptical” that “they will prosper because of the way they came to the table”, however, he said that “there must be an effort on both sides to achieve a consensual solution to the crisis” and prevent the June scenario from being replicated.

In dialogue with APthe expert warned that there will be things on which they will not be able to agree, but it will be necessary to continue negotiating in the long term.

“We shouldn’t have too many expectations that important results will come out that are immediately implemented, but it is an exercise that must be done,” he added.

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