Who exactly is indigenous and why is it inaccurate to refer to current protests as an indigenous strike?

It’s not a surprising that the media refers to the national strike currently underway in Ecuador as an indigenous protest. Afterall, it was declared by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (Conaie).

The vast majority of Ecuadorians are a mix of indigenous with other ancestries.

Population and demographic experts say, however, that the designation is a misrepresentation.

“What that designation misses is that 80% of the population is mestizo, a mixture primarily of indigenous and European ancestry,” says Central University demographic expert Gustavo Goya. “Within this large majority there is continuum from almost entirely indigenous to very little indigenous backgrounds. It is no surprise that many of those supporting the strike are part of the mestizo or other categories of the population.”

According to a 2023 report by the United Nations, 79% of Ecuadorians are mestizo, 7% are indigenous, 6% are black, 5% are of European descent and 3% represent other backgrounds.

Goya says politics define the strike much more than ancestry. “I have read editorials and opinion blogs claiming this is a protest of 6% or 7% of the population. If you consider the racial continuum, however, you understand this is not the case and it explains why polls show that 25% to 30% of Ecuadorians support the strike.”

He adds: “You must also take into consideration that student, labor and environmental groups also support the strike, and these groups represent the population at large.”

Former political science professor Roberto Mera agrees with Goya. “This is much smaller strike than we experienced in 2019 and 2022 but it still has significant support,” he says. “Concerns about the poor state of public health, education and highways are shared by a majority of the population no matter their heritage. Where many people draw the line in their support is with the more aggressive protest strategies, such as blocking highways.”