Social organizations held marches and sit-ins on the afternoon of Tuesday 26 in various cities of Ecuador

Cuenca-Tulcán-Machala-Babahoyo

Around 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, protesters took the Panamericana Sur, blocking the Narancay and Y sectors of the Tarqui parish, in Azuay. Following a dialogue between the protesters and the authorities, the pass was partially reopened.

The largest demonstration that took over the Historic Center began at 4:38 p.m. when a group of university students closed the corner of Luis Cordero and Bolívar streets to shout slogans against the National Government.

At 4:56 p.m., three military trucks full of soldiers arrived carrying firearms and other non-lethal weapons. They were formed and after coordinating actions with the Police, they stood at the facade of the Government of Azuay. In total there were 100 policemen and 50 soldiers, according to official information.

After walking down the cobbled Bolívar street, the leaders gathered in the Glorieta to deliver some speeches.

Lorena González, representative of the Health workers, commented that her main motivation for going out to the protest was the “package” of the rise in gasoline and diesel because in her opinion “freezing the price after raising it seriously affects the economy family”.

Live: Protesters clash with police in protest against the Government of Guillermo Lasso

Regarding the possibility of returning to the streets and that the strike is more constant, he replied that this will depend on the response of President Guillermo Lasso to the requests of the popular sectors.

Edgar Campoverde, police chief of the Cuenca Norte district, confirmed that until 6:00 p.m. all the demonstrations were carried out relatively calmly, which implies that no people were arrested and the roads were reopened little by little.

Although the majority of Protestants withdrew, a smaller group stayed in the lower part of the Government to continue with their slogans of rejection.

Machala

At 4:30 p.m., a march of unions of workers and leaders of social organizations began that began from the Ismael Pérez Pazmiño Park and advanced to the exterior of the Government of El Oro with the purpose of expressing their disagreement with the increase in the price of the fuels.

“This is a demonstration of the workers and our people who are affected by the increase in the price of fuel, the prices of food have already risen and according to the Government it seems that nothing is happening, we are up in the fight,” said JÉssica González , leader of the Popular Unity of El Oro.

Gustavo Macas, president of the National Union of Educators (UNE), announced that the mobilizations will continue. “We will be in the streets as many times as necessary, rejecting the increase in the price of fuel, in the country almost no one has a decent job,” said the leader.

Road closures in five provinces due to the effects of social demonstrations against the rise in gasoline and diesel

The demonstration went through the avenue 25 de Junio ​​until it reached the exterior of the El Oro Governor’s Office building. “We are 8,000 retirees nationwide and we do not receive our bonus after having worked more than 30 years in the health sector”, said Carlos Tinoco, Secretary of Legal Defense of the Retirees Association of the Ecuadorian Institute of Social Security (I)

Babahoyo

About 50 farmers participated in the peaceful sit-in that took place this Tuesday afternoon, in Babahoyo, Los Ríos.

The protesters first located themselves outside the Prosecutor’s Office of that city, where they asked to return work equipment, such as a tractor, which was seized from a road that was intended to obstruct in past protests. Later they went to the exterior of the Los Ríos Government.

There they asked Governor Génesis Blum to go out and talk with them and explain why the controls are still not being carried out on the pills and collection centers to regulate the price of the quintal and the sack of rice, announced by the President of the Republic, Guillermo Lasso, and that was set at $ 35.

The official said that she will attend a commission made up of 5 people, a request to which they refused.

“We ask that you come out and face us, that you fulfill us as you have already promised. The farmer is the one who is suffering the most this season. What he is going to say to 5 people, let him announce it to everyone present, ”said Samuel Caicedo, a farmer from Babahoyo.

Otavalo

Until 10:00 p.m., the protesters were still in various places on the stretch between Otavalo and Cajas, on the interprovincial border of the two jurisdictions. They did not allow the passage of automobiles.

Indigenous people from various imbaburan communities reached various points on the E 35 road where they placed barriers with giant trees, stones and burning tires, which prevent mobility.

Military and police tried to evict them without result, leading to clashes that left eight detainees, actions that outraged the protesters who maintain that they will continue on Wednesday on the roads.

The transport of cargo and passengers is suspended in the north, the land terminals of Ibarra and Tulcán closed the windows of the interprovincial operators until there are guarantees.

Tulcan

After 4:00 p.m., an outbreak of clashes between soldiers and protesters from various social organizations in the El Obelisco sector, in the southern entrance of the city, interrupted the march that was scheduled to reach the city center.

During the skirmishes, Giovanni Tobar, leader and former candidate of the Popular Unity for the National Assembly, was apprehended and accused of rebellion, according to Víctor Narváez, director of this political organization. In the Carchi Prosecutor’s Office, Narváez rejected the arrest.

In San Gabriel, the second city with the largest population in Carchi, municipal unionists from various cantons and social organizations obstructed the E 35 for about an hour.

The Tulcán land terminal did not dispatch buses to the interior of the country. About 100 passengers waited all day, confident that at night the frequencies would be restored. (I)