Ecuador can be added to the increasing list of countries such as Sri Lanka that now have failing economies. The capital, Quito, is experiencing food and fuel shortages after 10 days of demonstrations in which protesters at times have clashed with police. After officials rejected the conditions for negotiations, the United States government issued an advisory urging travellers to reconsider visiting the country due to “civil unrest and crime”.
Demonstrations led primarily by the Indigenous organization Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie), began on 14 June to demand that gasoline prices be cut by 45 cents a gallon to $2.10, price controls for agricultural products and a larger budget for education. The protests began with peaceful roadblocks but levels of violence have escalated in parts of the country prompting conservative ex-banker Lasso to decree a state of exception - martial control - in six provinces. The Indigenous leader Leonidas Iza on Tuesday demanded – among other things – that the government eliminate the state of emergency decree and remove the military and police presence around places where protesters have gathered.
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