Lizeth Guaman

Around noon on October 2, 2019, the then president of Ecuador, Lenín Moreno, published a set of economic measures that would take effect at midnight on Thursday, October 3 of that year.

Several of the measures responded to the agreement that the Ecuadorian government signed a month earlier with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), to obtain a credit of USD 4,209 million over three years. However, of the six economic measures announced by the president, Decree 883 corresponded to the elimination of subsidies for diesel and extra fuels (both for mass consumption). This was the trigger for the start of the demonstrations due to the greater social impact it had on Ecuadorian society.

After the announcement of the measures, the transport union was the first to call for a nationwide strike. Two days later, on October 5, social organizations such as the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie), workers’ unions, students, women’s groups, activists, among others, joined in. Men, women, young people, older adults and even children who accompanied their mothers, we joined the peaceful mobilizations until we reached the capital (Quito). On the way you could see that they were carrying pots, plates, spoons, supplies, water and food to share during the days of the protest. However, given the advance of the indigenous organizations, the military managed to break into some rural communities with the aim of preventing their mobilization.

From the beginning the violence escalated rapidly. This was evident in police and military repression, clashes between public forces and protesters, looting and acts of vandalism. According to the Verification Report on Human Rights National Strike and Indigenous Uprising October 3-13, 2019, carried out by the Alliance of Organizations for Human Rights, there was a disproportionate, unjustified and arbitrary abuse of the public force against the protesters, since October 3 . After 11 days of protests, the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie), through a statement, indicated that the October 2019 repression left a figure of 11 dead, 1,300 injured, more than 30 mutilated, and a thousand detained.

The mobilizations included the participation of women from different spaces and social sectors of the country. Thus, at the call of our grassroots organizations, the women of the indigenous communities left our territory to join the mobilization. Since our arrival in Quito, the organizational dynamics of the women were reflected in activities that ranged from the preparation and provision of food, carrying handkerchiefs with milk, water and baking soda to help colleagues who were affected by the tear gas bombs, to march and try to reach the National Assembly (legislative power) together with the men. By October 11, 2019, the repressive and violent episodes by the public force and some protesters were much more evident. It should be noted that, until the previous day, the repression had already left five dead, including Inocencio Tucumbi. They held a public funeral for him in the Agora of the House of Culture (Quito).

Given the episodes of violence during the days of the protest and the despair of the women for their children, brothers, fathers and husbands who were missing and injured, on the morning of October 11, in a new attempt to reach the National Assembly from the park from El Arbolito—a strategic and traditional place of popular gathering—the indigenous women called for more women to unite, march and take the lead in the peaceful protest. Accompanied by the leaders and companions, the women began to arrive one by one at the call of the crowd.

Little by little, indigenous women from various communities and towns, as well as mestizo women and social organizations, formed the first block that would advance peacefully to the National Assembly. This block was also accompanied by men, who were located at the end of the march.

Before advancing through the streets to express discontent against the economic measures, the women who were in front formed a kind of chain with our arms to advance together, united, organized and that no one take that place to avoid exposure to repression. of the police and military force since a few steps away there were anti-riot vehicles that prevented walking towards the National Assembly. Despite that, our block of women advanced with empty hands raised, while we shouted the first slogan to the public force: We are women, we are not criminals!

With small but firm steps, we women advanced while the security forces retreated. The road was long and full of slogans in favor of peace and an end to repression, chanting “not one stone, not one more bomb.” However, the journey was not free of repression and violence by the public forces and some groups infiltrated in the demonstrations. But that did not prevent our arrival at the main entrance of the legislative branch.

The arrival of the women was a symbolic act that invited them to raise and show their empty hands, sit down and shout:

Not a stone, not a bomb more!

Warmikuna Kaypimi Kanchik! (in Spanish, Here we are the women!)

We are daughters, our mothers are waiting for us!

We are the daughters of the first (indigenous) uprising!

The slogans were sung and accompanied by the crying of the women who, sitting in front of the security forces, asked for an end to the repression and the entry of women from the organizations to the vicinity of the National Assembly. They, accompanied and supported by police and military, would carry out a symbolic and peaceful takeover. Grandmothers, mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, we repeated over and over again, we are daughters, our mothers are waiting for us! Faced with this episode, several soldiers approached us to tell us not to worry, that nothing is going to happen and that we were safe there. At the place, several men approached the women to ask us if we needed anything. The majority responded that they were hungry, so those men brought food and fruits with them that we women shared among ourselves and also with the security forces through the bars that separated us.

However, the atmosphere of peace and hope did not last long. While the women shared the food, two helicopters landed outside the National Assembly. Thus the repression began again, without any reason and disproportionately against the women who were sitting there, talking and eating. You could see up close how the tear gas bombs were everywhere and women, men, young people, even children with their mothers, ran desperately trying to flee the place. Many women suffocated and fell to the ground.

Two days later, on October 13, the meeting between Conaie and the government took place, which was mediated by the UN and the Catholic Church. The meeting, televised on national television, resulted in the repeal of Decree 883 and the formation of commissions to prepare a new document that would replace said Decree. Likewise, this event marked the end of the protests and mobilizations that took place throughout the country.

Although October was repression, fear, violence, crying, pain and death, it was also struggle, hope, strength and resistance against measures that violate human rights. For this reason, it is important to keep alive the memory of the women who demonstrated and resisted in October 2019, since thanks to their prominence and leadership they were, are and will be “the daughters of the first (indigenous) uprising” that occurred in 1990.

Rebel October, still present!

Lizeth Guaman, Graduate in Public Relations from the Technical University of the North. Master’s student in International Relations, mention in Security and Conflict (Flacso Ecuador).

“Translated by Damian Vasquez”