Conaie plans sit-ins to pressure Constitutional Court to approve Lasso impeachment trial

The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities announced Friday that it will hold sit-ins and possibly other protests at the Constitutional Court in Quito when judges hear the National Assembly request to begin an impeachment trial against President Guillermo Lasso. “There should be no question about the admissibility of the case against the president and our members will be at the court to remind judges of this fact,” said Conaie President Leonidas Iza.

Conaie President Leondis Iza

“It would be outrageous if the court rules against the Assembly,” Iza said. “The people of Ecuador demand that justice be served.”

At a meeting Friday, Conaie and three other indigenous organizations proclaimed themselves in “permanent assembly against the corrupt government.”

Earlier in the week, Iza backed off earlier claims that Conaie would mount a national strike similar to the one that paralyzed the country in June 2022. He said disagreements among indigenous groups needed to be resolved before new protests are organized.

On Friday, Iza said there was no disagreement that Lasso must go. “All of our sectors are unified in this mission, indigenous people, peasants, labor unions and other social organizations. We all demand the end of the Lasso presidency, either by resignation or impeachment and the first step is for the Constitutional Court to support the will of the people.”

Iza added that Conaie and other groups will not continue negotiations with the government that followed the 2022 strike. “The dialog is over because of the lies and bad faith of the government. We will begin new discussions with the new government.”