Ecuadorians Protest Against President Noboa
Ecuadorian protesting in Quito, Oct. 31, 2024. X/ @gloobil
November 1, 2024 Hour: 11:30 am
‘Out with Noboa! Out!’ was the main chant during a massive protest in Quito, the capital city.
On Thursday, thousands of citizens marched through the streets of downtown Quito to protest against President Daniel Noboa, whom they blame for the power outages, economic crisis, and insecurity plaguing the Andean nation.
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“Out with Noboa! Out!” was the main chant during the protest, the first demonstration against the Noboa administration amid a severe electricity crisis that has led to blackouts lasting up to 14 hours daily across the country.
Protesters also burned cardboard posters bearing Noboa’s image, similar to those the right-wing politician used during the presidential campaign, which led to his inauguration in November 2023. Student members of the Guevarist Movement criticized the economic recession affecting the country, which they said has been exploited by powerful groups such as bankers and businesspeople.
In the streets, slogans were also heard against the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a multilateral institution that loaned money to the Noboa administration on the condition that it implement a set of austerity policies that have kept the economy in a constant state of decline.
Protesters criticized the security situation in the country, despite authorities claiming that the violent crime rate has dropped by 17 percent compared to 2023, when Ecuador was considered the Latin American country with the highest homicide rate.
The protest march proceeded without incident and ended at Santo Domingo Square in the city center, where several student leaders warned that new mass mobilizations would be held against the right-wing president and his austerity policies.
“On November 15, we will take to the streets again against this anti-popular government,” chanted the university students, calling on other social and labor groups to join the protest.
teleSUR/ JF Source: EFE
