From: hrcoord@igc.apc.org (Human Rights Coordinator)
Newsgroups: soc.rights.human
Subject: Indigenous March on Quito
Date: 8 Oct 92 22:45:00 GMT
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1476700602:000:5014
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!hrcoord    Oct  8 15:45:00 1992


From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord>
Subject: Indigenous March on Quito

From guiller@cats.UCSC.EDU Thu Oct  8 15:19:43 1992

INDIGENOUS MARCH ON QUITO REMEMBERS COLUMBUS

The South & Mesoamerican Indian Information Center (By: D.
Rothschild and Guillermo Delgado-P.)

(Quito, Oct 7, 1992), Ecuador, South America.

The president of the Confederation of Indigenous Nations of
Ecuador (CONAIE), Luis Macas, has announced that there will be an
indigenous march on the capital, Quito, on the 12th of October,
marking 500 years of Indigenous resistance.  The march is to be
completely peaceful.  Many different communities of Indigenous
peoples are to take part, coming from provinces all over Ecuador.
Many of the indigenous groups of the provinces are planning their
own local protests and marches for the days leading up to October
12 so that they can be in Quito united with the other Indigenous
nations on October 12.  Within the province of Chimborazo, a noted
"hot spot" in terms of confrontations between Indigenous peoples
and authorities, a local march is planned for the 11th of October.
They are planning on marching to Pillaro, where the remains of
Ruminahui are said to be (Ruminahui is known for leading the
Indigenous resistance against the first Spanish conquistadores).
The protesters are also planning on closing down the main highways
during the protest march.  The leaders of the Chimborazo province
indigenous group have met with the local leaders of the barrios
and labor unions who have said they will provide food for the
marchers.

In the province of Tungurahua the indigenous leaders are planning
their own local protest marches.  Within the capital of the
province, Ambato, there was some looting of local markets and
stores on October 6.  Angel Rufino Masaquisa, Jose Lligalo and
other local leaders of the group Indigenous Movement of Tungurahua
(MIT) have stated that these looters were in no way connected with
their group and referred to the looters as delinquents dressed as
indigenous peoples who donned ponchos and hats to loot.  MIT also
have reaffirmed that all of their marches will be totally peaceful
and coordinated with the protests of the province Chimborazo.
Santiago Barriga, the governor of Tungurahua, stated that he is in
no way against the Indigenous mobilization, but against violence
and aggresions.

Within the province of Cotapaxi the leaders are continuing their
meetings planning activities for the 12th of October.  On the 4th
of October was the first of their protest marches in the town of
Salcedo.  Thousands of Indigenous peoples descended unannounced on
the town of Salcedo. The protest was completely peaceful,
continued until the town center, and coincided with the town's
festival.  The leaders of the Indigenous groups of Cotapaxi stated
that they are organizing for the mobilization on October 12th in
Quito.  The governor of the province of Cotapaxi, Gonzalo Zuniga,
stated with relation to the march in Salcedo, that Indigenous
peoples have every right to draw attention to their problems and
to protest the "500 years of the meeting of two cultures." Zuniga
also stated that he will be meeting with the local Indigenous
leaders to discuss the 19 demands that the indigenous groups have
presented.  All of the local Indigenous groups are planning local
protests that have the possibility to close highways.  Many
sporadic, unanounced protests are expected.  The pan-american
highway between Quito and Cuenca (one of the most important
highways in Ecuador) is expected to be closed off by protesters on
and off throughout the weekend culminating with the march to Quito
on Octber 12.  On another note, a group of Evangelical Indigenous
people in the province of Chimborazo have declared that they are
not in agreement with CONAIE and that they consider the 12 of
October as the "meeting of two worlds," and not as, "500 years of
Indigenous resistance."  This group makes up approximately 30% of
the indigenous peoples of the province of Chimborazo, a place
where missionaries of evangelical sects continue to missionize.

First Meetings with the New President:

On the 22nd of September the leaders of CONAIE had their first
official meeting with Ecuador's new neo-liberal president, Sixto
Duran Ballen.  In the meeting CONAIE presented the president with
their Plurinational Indigenous Mandate that includes their
demands.  The president agreed to look at it and the next meeting
is planned for the 8th of October, 1992. In this way, organized
Indigenous peoples in Ecuador, are struggling to be consider full
participant-citizens of that nation, by pointing out structural
inequalities which they hope to reverse. As it is known, racial
and class discrimination has dominated this Latin American
country, as well as the rest of Latin America, now for 500 years.
This years's mobilizations and commemoration will hopefully open
democratic spaces Ecuador's newly elected government has said to
respect.  Indigenous people now commemorate.  1p 1p