Quito, March 12, 1999

CONAIE Convokes Indian Levantamiento (Uprising)

Facing the authoritarian attitude demonstrated by the State of Emergency and the announcement of economic measures, the Indigenous Peoples and Nationalities of Ecuador express the following:

  • President Mahuad, in his nationally televised address lied to the country and demonstrated that he does not believe in consultation and deliberation (concertación). Taking an extreme and unilateral position, he has taken measures that destroy the popular economy.
  • The President hid the origins of the crisis that was generated in the national financial system, and neither penalized those responsible nor recuperated the millions of dollars that were given under the pretext of saving the banks.
  • We totally and unequivocally reject the economic measures taken by the government that are a clear demonstration of its lack of initiative in using the same models that have for many years failed to produce results and only exacerbated the divide between rich and poor.
  • Raising the IVA (Value Added Tax) from 10 to 15% means generating a tax in addition to the increase in prices provoked by the 100% devaluation of the sucre.
  • The 200% increase in gasoline prices directly affects the prices of all articles of mass consumption. This increase in prices will provide the government with 1 trillion 500 billion sucres, while the increase allocated for the "poverty bond" (bono de la pobreza) is only 50 billion, 3% of the total, not counting the amount collected in the tax on luxury vehicles.
  • We hold the National Congress responsible for the viability they give to the projects presented by the President that are violent attacks against the national patrimony.
  • The only measures with which we agree are the punishment of tax-evasion and the obstruction of related credits which can prevent the irresponsible actions of corporate bankers. We also favor the re-structuring of the foreign debt, something not part of the President's initiative.

We hold the government responsible for the death of our compañero Luis Alberto Cabascango Cobacango, who fleeing from the leveling actions of the police and military in the community of San Pablito de Agualongo, fell in a hidden well and died.

We hold the government responsible for and denounce the illegal detention of compañero José Maria Cabascango, Official (Vocal) of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal. In violation of his immunity as a member of this state body, he was arrested by police for interceding on the behalf of imprisoned compañeros detained in the sector of Cayambe y Tabacundo.

For the aforementioned reasons, we ratify the resolutions of the Peoples' Congress held yesterday, March 11, 1999. We call upon our base communities and organizations to hold Community Assemblies and an emergency National Assembly on March 15 in order to define mandates and actions that will launch the next LEVANTAMIENTO INDIGENA

We demand the lifting of the State of Emergency that with the economic plan has brought us to a state of social unrest.

We suspend our participation in the Forum of Concertation of the Government and Indigenous Peoples.

Antonio Vargas
President

 

Levantamiento (Uprising)

 

Webmaster all contents after 21. 01. 2000  Laila Holtet Tawantinsuyu 

Bandera de Alianza Indigena

Imaynan mana qopuwaqchu huhpa kaqnintari?? Llullakuyqa p'uchukanmi , cheqayllan wiñay kawsan!

 


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