Labeled “savages” in times past, today the mobilizing efforts of the indigenous have been associated with the work of “terrorist groups” and “criminal groups” by President Moreno.
QUITO, ECUADOR — “We don’t have a state! We don’t have any state!” The lady’s voice projects through a loudspeaker amid the crowd. She’s not having it. Nor is the groundswell of hundreds, if not thousands who’ve converged at Plaza Grande trolley stop, just meters from Simon Bolivar’s statue at the entrance to Quito’s historic center. They’ve come to express their disquiet over a fresh round of austerity measures declared by Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno last week, the backbreaker being the now-infamous fuel subsidy cut, as part of a $4.2 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan package.
“Diesel rose from $1.03 to $2.30 per gallon on Thursday [Oct. 3], while gasoline rose from $1.85 to $2.39,” according to Reuters, which cited the government’s own figures. Transport and food prices also skyrocketed. Other economic reforms affecting public-sector workers included cuts to wages by 20 percent, annual vacation time slashed in half, and a mandatory days-wage paid to state coffers each month.
Unable to bear the outlays, people amassed on the streets.
#1: Pinguinite To: Ada (#0)
Pinguinite posted on 2019-10-14 12:07:19 Reply Private Reply
#2: NeoconsNailed To: Ada (#0)
Our SC compatriot John Cobin has strong words about the place
escapeamericanow.info/ecuador-is-not-a-good-expat- destination/
......though he moved to Chile and has highly promoted that country (till he got to know it up close long-term, at least).
NeoconsNailed posted on 2019-10-14 14:15:36 Reply Private Reply
#3: ghostdogtxn To: Ada (#0)
ghostdogtxn posted on 2019-10-14 14:58:24 Reply Private Reply
#4: Ada To: Pinguinite (#1)
Ada posted on 2019-10-14 15:24:07 Reply Private Reply
#5: Ada To: ghostdogtxn (#3)
Wasn't it that loan package that bribed Moreno into giving up Assange?
Ada posted on 2019-10-14 15:25:37 Reply Private Reply
#6: Pinguinite To: Ada (#4)
Moreno is working in favor of the US gov, so that's unlikely. The indigenous don't like the IMF, but do like the subsidies. Basically they are left leaning, at least economically.
Having said that, rumor is that indigenous basically fined any among their own who did not either participate or actively support the protesting. If true, you could say they effectively rented their own mob.
Pinguinite posted on 2019-10-14 19:05:30 Reply Private Reply
#7: Pinguinite To: Ada (#5)
I don't know the details but it may well be related to the same loan.
Pinguinite posted on 2019-10-14 19:06:23 Reply Private Reply
#8: BTP Holdings To: ghostdogtxn (#3)
You are right.
Now please refer to Smedley Butler's screed, War Is a Racket.
Butler was a hit man for the bankers. ;)
BTP Holdings posted on 2019-10-14 19:13:06 Reply Private Reply