Damages in the historic center of Quito amount to $ 5,894

In a preliminary assessment of the damage caused in the historic center of Quito, during the protests on October 26, the Municipality quantified the destruction of public space in $ 5,894. This was reported by the Secretary of Security, Daniela Valarezo.

Tuesday’s session was called by the Unitary Front of Workers (FUT) and the National Union of Educators (UNE) in rejection of the government’s economic measures. As the crowd walked down Guayaquil Street, several protesters painted scratches on the walls of heritage buildings. The greatest damage occurred in the Plaza de Santo Domingo, where some people pulled stones from the ground to use against the police.

Valarezo mentioned that the citizens who made the graffiti could be identified. One of them has already received an administrative penalty of $ 125. Another five people, who were arrested during the march for attacking police officers and lifting the cobblestones of the square, were also notified with a sanction.

Unlike previous demonstrations, this time there was no damage at the Trolleybus stops or of the Ecovía or in the surroundings of the El Arbolito park, clarified the Secretary of Security.

On Tuesday night, when the protest ended and the crowd withdrew, technicians from the Metropolitan Heritage Institute (IMP) walked the stretch of Guayaquil street to the Santo Domingo square to verify the existing damage. At that moment, the area was also cleaned. From the early hours of Wednesday, a gang of workers from the Municipality intervened in the affected areas.

“We strongly reject the acts of vandalism that have affected our historic center. It is everyone’s responsibility to take care of it and preserve it, ”the IMP said in a statement. (I)