Protests Planned in Quito week of Aug 10

For background information on this subject, Wikipedia now has an entry titled 2015 Ecuadorian protests.  en.wikipedia.org

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I've seen a thousand of those Bob. It's standard issue with standard wording. I do believe there must be a blank format for it, and they just insert the appropriate date and location and then hit send.

We were in Athens in the 2000's and they issued the exact same warning. Apparently some miffed Greek had lobbed a device into the US Greek embassy, blowing up an embassy toilet as the result. Warning issued, hilarity ensued.

Truly if you wish for decent traveler advice, you'd do better to heed the Foreign Ministry website of UK, much better detailed information and less hysteria.


UK Foreign travel advice
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice

The UK page Cat linked for us has some guidance about the national demonstration planned in Quito for August 13th, including warnings about possible violence here in Centro Histórico and around Parque el Arbolito.

In other UK advisories, the site endorses using the ap at Easytaxi.com to order a cab in major EC cities ... and says the practice of allowing passengers to ride on top of train cars on Andes railroads is now prohibited due to safety concerns including lack of space under tunnels.  The Easy Taxi ap is favored, in part, because information about the driver and the taxi registration are recorded.

cccmedia in Quito

Gardener: Totally agree that the concerns are often overblown. I also agree that the State Department seems to have a template for these warnings -- this is similar to warnings I received about miscellaneous demonstrations while I was in the Philippines.

As I said in the OP, this is an FYI, and I personally would use it less to fret over the possibility that angry mobs are going to hang gringos from the light-poles than that there would be traffic disruptions.

Groups from throughout Ecuador are already marching to Quito to join the protests, and are expected to begin arriving in Quito as early as Tuesday, August 12.  The main protest activity is scheduled for August 13 in Quito....

Photos of marchers en route to the capital have just been posted by Quito Expat Liliya Bykova, including a compelling photo showing hundreds shoulder to shoulder filling a wide road en marcha....

    www.dayinquito.blogspot.com

stay safe guys

check out Sylvia Twitter account

@Sylvia buendia

Photos and some video and standoff with police from beginning of marchit's all in espagnol

Today's planned Quito demonstrations (Thursday, Aug. 13, 2015) have morphed into what  the PanAm Post now calls a "massive national strike."  The Post says the main point is to seek to "rectify" policy proposals especially taxes on inheritances and capital gains.

Trade unionists are key organizers.  Lawyers and doctors associations are now in as well.  20,000 people participating in a 500-mile March for Dignity by indigenous peoples moved through Latacunga en route to the capital, according to a group representing the indigenous.  Senior citizens are also planning to demonstrate after cuts in funding for pensions.

El Supremo has predicted that the demonstrations will be a "massive failure."

Source:  PanAm Post, in an article titled "Rafael Correa's Citizen Revolution Faces Its Biggest Protest Yet:  Indigenous, Workers, Retirees, Professionals Rise Up in Unison"

Seems that US State Dept  warnings weren't totally exaggerated. I would have gone with them before  what UK foreign ministry had to say. There are a lot more Americans than Brits in EC.. Ecuador is  NOT the Phillipines or Greece

While I don't think there will be tanks and tear gas it would be imprudent not to heed them altogether. It is a cliché and I don't live there but I'd rather be safe than sorry

If I remember correctly Correa's last few predecessor's didn't make it through their first term. I wouldn't generalize about Latin American leaders either.

EC has it's very own national psyche. Just the few years I've  followed the Forum it seems that Ecuadorians will not tolerate bad governance

I don't think EC will be the next Greece which has been talked about here. He's only been in power 8 years. IMO
Buen Vivar is just going to come crashing down around him.

The Chinese are not the EU so I wouldn't even speculate what might happen

Source Al Jazeera Latin America news page for today:

Indigenous protesters have blocked roads in six provinces including Pan American Hwy to Peru. Seems they did not get their piece of the promised Buen Vivar pie nor the respect they felt they deserved.

Feb 2015
Corrrea being attacked for attempts at interfering with free press. Created website on twitter feed account to fight back at internet "memes" he called "defamers".
"For every lying tweet they send out I will send out ten thousand truthful ones."

Staring Oct 1,  2010 thru Oct 6 2010
What is described as attempted coup by police put down by military loyal to him. "tires burning in front of every police station" Military put in charge of public security after state of emergency declared. Six dead 13 police jailed plus one of former presidents who was charged with inciting them.. In hail of gunfire he was rescued by army loyal to him from hospital where protesting police held him captive. Had been  rushed there earlier in the day after tear gas attack on him in police barracks after speech trying to discuss wage and benefit cuts.. He refused to negotiate with them at the hospital saying  "I'll leave as president or they'll take me out of here as a corpse." Also reported at the time looting in Quito and GYE and head of central bank calling for calm and urging EC citizen not to withdraw funds from Central Bank

Another article cited some background info at the time. EC has long history of political instability with 3 of 8 presidents toppled in the decade before Correa elected in 2006.

Following this coup attempt his popularity rose to 58%. Police got their raises. Riding this wave he was able to block legislation by his own leftist party with proposals in National Assembly  aimed at cutting state costs...."prompting him to mull disbanding congress a move that would allow him to rule by decree until next  election" per one of his Ministers.

Also worth noting that once elected in 2006 he backed rewriting of Constitution to tilt power to Executive. Defaulted on debts to IMF and European Central Bank which  he considered "illegal" because they were made by his predecessors

Also interesting profile of him.

Sounds like an unpredictable guy....a real firebrand in the past

My Ecuadorian family used to speak highly of Correa. Now they want him out. He's lost the middle class and the moderates. He's done.

jessekimmerling wrote:

My Ecuadorian family used to speak highly of Correa. Now they want him out. He's lost the middle class and the moderates. He's done.

Guess things can go from north to south in terms of approval, and popularity pretty quick, if the above statement is accurate. Catch 22 for Correa, isn't it? Ecuador needed to upgrade, and move forward into the 21st century. That costs money. When you don't have that money, then you have to borrow it. When depend largely on oil revenue, are playing a game of cat and mouse. Prices still at $100 all is fine. Prices drop, but stabilize around $70-$80, you can make a few cuts and probably be ok. Prices take a sharp nosedive, and don't rebound like we are currently seeing, and you got some serious problems.

Lots of articles on the web big news media outlets . it's #4 on need to know for Friday  WP. Also AFP, AJ and what ABC picked up from them. Very conflicting reports of near paralysis of the capitol because of road blocks. Some video of protestors also others saying road blocks were open right away because expected number of protestors didn't show

Also article Thurs eve of Correa's speech to huge crowd of supporters in Independence Plaza
thanking them for support. His popularity rating lowest ever but still 46 to 47 . Interviews in Quito reflect that mixed feeling. Tariff on imports of non EC produced items like appliances said to be affecting only middle and upper class but said to be good for EC manufacturing

Associated Press report of August 13, 2015, night of the strike/protest:

   General Strike Nearly Paralyzes Much of Ecuador

Quito, Ecuador -- A general strike against President Rafael Correa virtually paralyzed Ecuador's capital, provincial cities and major highways Thursday and violent clashes broke out between protesters and police in several cities.

A diverse coalition mobilized thousands of indigenous activists, unionists and environmentalists who blocked roads with tree trunks and burning tires, and public transport was scarce in Quito, the capital.

At midday, police fired tear gas at one point in a vain attempt to dislodge indigenous protesters on the Panamericana highway near the Cotopaxi volcano.

Later, riot police turned back some 10,000 protesters who tried to reach Quito's central San Francisco Plaza.  Some protesters hurled sticks and rocks at police.  At least a dozen officers and a similar number of protesters were injured.

Indigenous leaders reported several arrests....

Correa's abrasive, sometimes impetuous style and scant tolerance for dissent have drawn steady complaint from international human rights groups, who accuse him of stifling free speech and an independent judiciary.

Indigenous protest leader Carlos Perez said the strike would not end until Correa takes heed of citizens' complaints.

(AP)

These Associated Press reports on the protests and situation in Ecuador were posted on the Miami Sun-Times website, along with AP photos of the August 13th happenings.   To see the photos, google...

    suntimes.com general strike nearly paralyzes

    More news and analysis from the Associated Press:

Facing the  first national strike against him in eight years in office, Correa blamed the far right, his usual nemesis.

In remarks to a youth group, the leftist economist called on supporters to clear the streets.  "These things must be rejected, not by the security forces but by the citizenry," he said of the barricades.  "A small group is trying to impose its policies on us."

Ecuador's growing anti-Correa movement has become more diverse, however.  It is united chiefly by a rejection of pending legislation that would permit Correa's indefinite re-election when his third term ends in 2017.

The president's popularity owes to generous government spending on social welfare and infrastructure including highways, but his support level in opinion polls is now at its lowest ever -- 45 percent.

Indigenous groups are upset by Correa's refusal to consult them on mining and oil exploration on traditional lands.  Union activists are angry at a new labor code that they see as stripping them of freedom of association and protest.  Business people are upset by new taxes, including import tariffs and 75 percent taxes on real estate sales and inheritances that Correa announced but then suspended after a public outcry.

Ecuador is heavily dependent on oil revenues and Correa has faced mounting protests since this year's plunge in crude prices forced him to impose cost-cutting measures.

(AP)

Surprisingly, is kind of hard to find much video from the last day or so. Found this clip from yesterday's protests. Not sure a whole lot of people are overly concerned. You can see what looks like several spectators taking some video footage. Doesn't look like they are particularly concerned about much.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoPG4mtXws8

j600rr wrote:

Surprisingly, is kind of hard to find much video from the last day or so. Found this clip from yesterday's protests. Not sure a whole lot of people are overly concerned. You can see what looks like several spectators taking some video footage. Doesn't look like they are particularly concerned about much.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoPG4mtXws8

My son has a Theory of Media: There must be a burning car for something to have happened.
If there is no car afire, then pfffft. meh.

This video is pffft, meh.



Futbol horns, really?

I think media within Ecuador are afraid of covering it, and media outside Ecuador are disinterested.

So there might have been a burning car (off video)? In that case, well, there could actually be news!

May I post this link with photo that appeared at msn.com's IMAGES OF THE DAY (Aug. 14, 2015):
http://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tena … amp;y=1221

PS

peripatetic_soul wrote:

May I post this link with photo that appeared at msn.com's IMAGES OF THE DAY (Aug. 14, 2015):
http://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tena … amp;y=1221

PS

Appears a policeman is giving a back scratch to a citizen reading the newspaper, no burning cars in sight.

Just saw a picture on facebook of a police horse knocked unconscious, laying in the street.  The poster was concerned about protestor cruelty to animals.

Burning cars or not, it appears to have developed into rather more than anybody expected -- so props to the consulate.

Jesse has a good point -- any media who cover it could get massive fines.

Cccmedia, any boots on the ground reports to offer?

I did find some photos of protesters setting a tire and some other stuff on fire. No cars though.

http://www.telesurtv.net/english/multim … -0013.html

gardener1 wrote:

Cccmedia, any boots on the ground reports to offer?

I make it a point to steer clear of any confrontations.  As another longtime Expat posted on the Internet this week...it's not our fight.

Police re-routed me around a demonstration about three blocks from the presidential palace a few months ago where hundreds of indigenous demonstrators were protesting the same issues as now.  Suddenly, and unaccountably, scores of them raced past me and other bystanders at breakneck speed.  It was a frightening moment although there were no collisions.

Expat and Quito blogger Liliya Bykova is also cautioning Expats to stay clear of the confrontations.  There is the documented possibility of being deported for participating, she writes.

On her blog today, Liliya posted photos of a French-Brazilian journalist/EC profesora who not only got a black eye in an August 13th confrontation with police, but had her class XII visa revoked as well.  The confrontation, the black eye, the visa-cancellation notice and a photo of the woman's Ecuadorian husband reclining in an ambulance are on display at www.dayinquito.blogspot.com which is Liliya's website and at another site she links to.

cccmedia in Quito

Saw video of some of the photos gardener1 posted of protestors going after riot police.."with sticks and projectiles"

In his speech,  to his cheering supporters he told them that the protestors would never win because they are "using stones instead of votes"

Also reports from other big media outlets and free press watchdog agencies that there has been a huge crackdown on EC media.

It really is hard now to crack down on news. Even if a government exercises policies to muffle news stories, as on telesurv and plenty of other places, the people now have the ability to be citizen journalists.

Really the only way to stop it is to shut down the internet. Which of course has been done in places like Syria, Thailand, Turkey, Hong Kong, Egypt during protests. But that also caused more problems than it solved when government pulled the plug on the internet, they were left sitting around in the dark too.

I saw a website of global internet connections which evaluated country's internet connections and the probability of an internet blackout. Ecuador was rated as a high risk for blackout as only three servers serviced the whole country. But that was a couple of years ago and I can't remember the website I saw it on.

cccmedia wrote:

On her blog today, Liliya posted photos of a French-Brazilian journalist/EC profesora who not only got a black eye in an August 13th confrontation with police, but had her class XII visa revoked as well.

An update has now been posted, including inspirational photos, depicting the "love story" happy ending for the beautiful Expat profesora and her Ecuadorian indigenous leader-husband.

Taken down by police during national Strike Day, she was jailed for four nights, and he was hospitalized in Quito.

She has since been freed and the couple has re-united ... returning to the indigenous protest base at Quito's Parque el Arbolito.

To see sheer joy on the couple's faces from this remarkable turnaround, re-visit Liliya's website www.dayinquito.blogspot.com

If she's being deported how could she be at the protest base at Parque el Arobolito in Quito?

I'm not down there....and there is a crackdown on the press and activists so I can say it

Je suis Manuela

suefrankdahl wrote:

If she's being deported how could she be at the protest base at Parque el Arobolito in Quito?

She has been released.
http://panampost.com/rebeca-morla/2015/ … ion-order/

BobH wrote:

suefrankdahl wrote:

If she's being deported how could she be at the protest base at Parque el Arobolito in Quito?

She has been released.

Alas, the government wins after all. Cuenca HighLife reports that she is being refused renewal of her visa and is going to Brazil (though she has plans to return).

http://www.cuencahighlife.com/french-br … extension/

Although Picq was released from the custody of immigration officials on Monday following a judges' order, it became clear that the government would not renew her visa which expires next week.

Probably just as well....her safety would be in jeopardy and this painfully obvious after what happened to her. Martyrs have their value but in her case it is more valuable to be alive and keep reporting on what she knows

BobH wrote:

Alas, the government wins after all.

Too soon to say this.  This story has what journalists call "legs."

Especially since the photos helped turn Picq into an international icon.

cccmedia in Quito

Good......je suis Manuela

CCC: Yeah -- I should have said that the government wins this round.

The linked article says she's planning to return to Ecuador on a Mercosur passport. We'll have to see how the government reacts to that.

It's five weeks later, and another round of protests is planned here in Quito and elsewhere tomorrow (September 16, 2015) .. by the indigenous and the other unhappy groups.

More arrests and clashes with military/police are possible.

mongabay.com, as picked up by www.latinamericacurrentevents.com

December 4, 2015, update:

Police and protesters clashed in Ecuador's three largest cities with some serious injuries reported yesterday as the Ecuadorian assembly in the capital was deciding on constitutional amendments.

Details at:

www.cuencahighlife.com/protesters-polic … amendments



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