Area: Latin America
Reference: Asia, southern
Title: ECUADOR: INDIANS WANT "A STATE WITHIN A STATE", SAY LANDOWNERS
Quito, may 30 (ips)--Ecuador's landowners today accused the
country's indigenous organisations of "subverting" law and
order and planning to establish an autonomous government.
Ignacio Perez, president of Ecuador's Chamber of Agriculture,
said the Indians were attempting to form a "state within a
state" and would "do away with the legitimate property"
of landowners.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, 100 members of the Confederation of
Indigenous Nations of Ecuador (CONAIE) occupied the Parliament
Building in Quito and demanded constitutional recognition of
Ecuador as a "multi-ethnic and multi-cultural" nation, and
an amnesty for 1,000 peasants charged with offense under the
penal code.
The president of the Legislative Assembly, Edelberto Bonilla,
has agreed to include their demands in the agenda of the
forthcoming parliamentary sessions.
CONAIE's president, Luis Macas, warned that if the Indians'
demands are not met, they would form their own parliament and
government.
According to Ignacio Perez, CONAIE's demands threaten to
"undermine the unity of the country".
The Interior Minister, Cesar Verduga, appealed for "calm"
while the Indians' demands are discussed, but said he did not
believe Ecuador should be declared a "multi-ethnic and multi-
cultural" nation.
CONAIE believes that such a declaration would open up
development opportunities for the indigenous communities.
Meanwhile, the armed forces sent a letter to President Rodrigo
Borja calling for curbs on "the activities of extremist
movements and international groups, who take advantage of the
natives' ingenuousness in their attempts to set up an Indian
state".
The cattle-ranchers' association also called for "clear
government action" and warned of the international pressures
aimed at "setting the country alight, in the context of the 500
years of the discovery of America".
Last week CONAIE withdrew from renewed negotiations with the
government when their request for the dismissal of a judge was
turned down. (more/ips)
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Ecuador: Indians (2)
The government believes the problems with the country's
Indians "stem from the age-old exploitation which they have
suffered".
Ecuador's three million indians account for about 30 percent
of the country's population. (ends/ips/trd/np-pr/dc/cs/cg)