Swimming pool

Like every year, Cuenca also joined the Labor Day protests that were commemorated this Monday, May 1st. The atmosphere was the usual: a tour of the central Bolívar street, slogans against the government of the day and hundreds of people parading to music known as the “protest” genre.

The interesting thing this year is that, while they were waiting for the arrival of the protesters, a public address system was set up in Glorieta del Parque, from which songs of social content could be heard at full volume, sung to the rhythm of other popular ones such as, for example. Slowly Luis Fonsi or I love them older Karol G, a fusion that is rarely heard on these occasions.

The march started after 09:30 from San Blas and ended an hour and a half later in Calderón Park, a route in a straight line of five blocks in which unions such as electricians, utility workers, the city company Etapa participated. Social Security , University of Cuenca, Ministry of Transport and Public Works, among others; but encouraged by trade unionists from groups already known as the General Union of Workers of Ecuador (UGTE), the United Workers’ Front (FUT) and some local politicians representing parties opposed to the ruling party.

The streets were packed, and among their demands against Guillermo Lasso’s government was the lack of proper employment for most Ecuadorians, which creates social inequality, the protesters said.

There was room for general assertions such as that made by Diana Gonzalez, spokesperson for the health sector in the province, who asserted a lack of input within public institutions, affecting not only her work, but also patient care, therefore assuring that will continue in the streets until President Lasso resigns.

Some specific demands were also presented, such as that of Cristian Cárdenas, representative of the Asfaltar Works Committee, a company attached to the prefecture of Azuay, who demonstrated in the struggle until 37 of his colleagues received stability after four or five years of work under the modality of a temporary contract.

According to a study by Luis Tobar, an economic researcher at the Salesian Polytechnic University of Cuenca, as of March of this year, only 2,881,000 Ecuadorians have adequate employment. This means 476,000 less than in March 2018 and 160,000 more than in March 2022, when there were 2,721,000 people in good-paying and legal employment. Because of this, the academic concluded that “the lack of well-being of millions of Ecuadorians is a reflection that the economy has not yet managed to recover”.

Although the slogan was against the regime, the protest passed without major excesses, and the police guarding some public buildings such as those of the Government and the Municipality did not have much to do because at the end of the intersection of Bolívar and Benigno Malo streets, everyone retired to carry out their activities after that they signed the attendance lists so that it is recorded that they participated.