Communiqué
from La Vía
Campesina
denounces the
dissolution of
democratic
institutions in
Ecuador, coupled
with a recent
decree on
terrorism and the
military
supporting the
President.
(Bagnolet, May
20, 2023) The
peasant, indigenous,
landless, women and
workers’ organizations
that are part of the
international movement
La Via Campesina
around the world warn
with great concern
about the current
context in Ecuador,
marked by a serious
political crisis,
accompanied by a deep
economic and social
crisis, with high
levels of violence by
criminal groups, the
State and the sectors
of power that continue
looting the people.
On Wednesday,
May 17, the president
of Ecuador, Guillermo
Lasso signed executive
decree
741, which establishes
the dissolution of the
National Assembly.
This in the midst of
the political trial
opened against him for
accusations of
embezzlement. The
decree also calls for
early general
elections within 90
days.
As La Via
Campesina we are
concerned about the
fact that this
mechanism known as
“mutual death,”
although included in
the Constitution since
2008, received full
support of the Armed
Forces and the Police
before there had been
any official
pronouncement from the
Constitutional Court.
On the other
hand, we raise the
alarm about a serious
threat to democracy,
because although the
mechanism of “mutual
death” is a
constitutional tool,
its implementation in
a scenario of
anti-democracy can be
dangerous.
As peasant
organizations we
demand that for as
long as this process
lasts, president Lasso
refrains from
deepening
Neoliberalism,
extractivism, the
privatization of basic
services, the handover
of natural goods —
oil, mining, the
radio-electrical
spectrum — to
transnational
corporations. We need
decrees that address
the urgent demands of
working-class urban
and rural sectors
instead of catering to
corporate groups. We
strongly reject every
type of consession and
privatization of
public assets.
As a movement
present worldwide, we
call on our member
organizations, allies
and multilateral
institutions to remain
alert to the events in
Ecuador. We must
ensure transparent
elections, stand in
defense of democracy
in the country and the
continent, denounce
the imperialist and
interventionist
practices of the US
and demand all
proceedings are
executing according to
the law.
We call to:
Respond
immediately to the
serious social
crisis that Ecuador
is also facing, with
high rates of hunger
and malnutrition in
children, poverty,
migrations,
unemployment of
almost half of the
population, lack of
investment in health
and education and an
out of control level
of violence and
insecurity due to
criminal gangs.
Pay
special attention to
the peasant sector,
those who feed the
country, the
montubio people,
Afro-descendants and
indigenous people,
as well as the
artisanal
fisher-folk who are
indebted to the
banks, slaves in
their territories,
who also suffer
assault, kidnapping,
extortion and
assassinations,
coupled with the
complete disregard
of the State. All
the while, the
corporate,
agribusiness and
banking sector,
aligned with the
Lasso administration
and other political
sectors, enjoy
shamefully high
profit rates as the
main benefitiaries
of the corruption
that plagues
Ecuador.
Respect
the political rights
of the progressive
members of the
National Assembly,
acknowledge the
militant and
political trajectory
of comrade José
Agualsaca and offer
him our support, as
historic leader of
the FEI (Ecuadorian
Federation of
Indians, member
organization of CLOC
– La Via Campesina),
and current assembly
member who already
several months ago
had offered his seat
in defense of the
governance of the
country.
Endorse
the democratic
processes of
indigenous, student
and workers’
organizations,
respecting the
freedom of assembly
and association to
launch local
assemblies, in the
understanding that
democracy is at its
core the people,
organized and
fighting for their
rights.
Ensure
a transparent
electoral process
that does not censor
the participation
and candidacies of
any sector; demand
that the National
Electoral Council
restructure the
Provincial Electoral
Boards for a more
democratic
conformation and
that intermediate,
provincial and
national computing
centers are
audited.
Coordinate
a progressive and
popular process of
unity, engaging all
the sectors of the
left, parties,
organizations and
movements in Ecuador
for the elections
called for August
2023; a process able
to address the most
affected sectors of
society as indicated
in the 2008
Constitution and its
humanistic and
anti-capitalist
spirit; a
Constitution that
also acknowledges
the peasantry as a
subject of rights, a
priority in public
policy, and Food
Sovereignty as a
strategic objective
of the State for a
true revolution in
rural areas.
We call
to join the national
collective work to
rebuild a
multicultural, fair
and sovereign
Ecuador!
Photographs
National Strike
Ecuador, June 2022.
Edu León.
