QUITO – Ecuador’s largest indigenous organisation yesterday filed a suit against President Lenin Moreno and other authorities for alleged crimes against humanity committed during protests last October that left 10 people dead.
The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) asked the prosecutor’s office to investigate “crimes against humanity” because it believes the crackdown was “a systematic and widespread attack on the civilian population”, the group’s lawyer, Carlos Poveda, told AFP.
“We have asked that there be no isolated or circumstantial investigations. We have asked that all the complaints be united that they be dealt with in a context of crimes against humanity”.
The government has yet to comment on the suit.
A wave of protests, marked by violence, erupted in Ecuador in the first half of last October, after the government increased fuel prices.
The demonstrations led the government to declare a state of emergency, and at one point, Moreno moved his government from the capital here to the port city of Guayaquil. He eventually backed down and re-established fuel subsidies.
Poveda said the suit is against Moreno, the interior and defence ministers, the police chief and the comptroller.
“We had filed complaints, we had told the state that they should investigate the events of October 2019, but this irresponsible government and the Ecuadorian justice system have not been able to respond and give an explanation to the Ecuadorian people,” CONAIE president Jaime Vargas told the press.
According to data provided by the ombudsman’s office, the protests left 10 people dead, 1,340 injured and 1,192 arrested.
The demonstrations also caused an estimated US$821 million (RM3.4 billion) in damage. – AFP, October 13, 2020
