Mass Indigenous Protest In Defense of Water Caps Week of Mobilizations in Ecuador

Written by Daniel Denvir

Thursday, 20 November 2008 08:02

Photo Courtesy of Comunicación CONAIE

Over 10,000 indigenous people from hundreds of Ecuador's Northern Sierra (highlands) communities gathered to present the native movement's proposed Water Law. Protesters chanted, "Water is not for sale, it is to be defended," as speakers excoriated President Rafael Correa's draft Water Law, saying that it could lead to privatization and pollution by mining companies.

The protest was organized by the Confederation of Peoples of the Kichwa Nationality (Ecuaranari), the Sierra regional block of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE). Marches left from the North, South and West to converge on the Pan-American Highway, blocking the country's central artery for over six hours.

The march also showed the indigenous movement's capacity to mobilize large numbers of people, a sign that the CONAIE is recovering from past internal divisions and political defeats. Correa has regularly insulted indigenous leaders and anti-mining activists, claiming that they do not represent a real political base. But indigenous people at
Wednesday's protest were passionate about defending their access to clean water.

Maria came to the march from the community of Santa Anita, in the Central Sierra province of Chimborazo: "We are here to defend the water. We take care of the páramos (Andean wetlands) to get our water. We don't get our water for free. They say they're going to take away our water, and we're not going to let them."

The protest came two days after thousands of campesinos and coastal fishers staged nation wide protests and road blockades against Correa's draft Mining Law and support for large-scale shrimp farms. Activists contend that the law would allow companies to undertake damaging large-scale and open pit mining in ecologically sensitive areas, contaminating the water supply with heavy metals. Fishers demanded that Correa overturn Decree 1391, passed on October 15th, which handed thousands of marine hectares over to large-scale shrimp farmers. This will lead to the further destruction of mangrove forests, critical habitat for the area's fish, crabs and conchs. Participants in all of this week's marches have emphasized the importance of natural resources to their communities.

Five people were arrested during Monday's protests, including Jorge Sarango, a former Constituent Assembly member from the indigenous party Pachakutik. While Sarango has been released, the other four activists remain in jail.

Ceaser Quilumbaquin came to Wednesday's march with over 400 people from San Miguel del Prado, a community in the province of Pichincha.

Photo Courtesy of Comunicación CONAIE

"We're fighting for our water because they want to privatize it. We are indigenous people and the majority of water comes from our páramos. Water is life, and the government wants to sell water to private entities," said Quilumbaquin.

This week's mobilizations are an important demonstration of growing social movement unity and independence from the government of President Rafael Correa. Activists say that this week's mobilizations are the beginning of a larger movement to confront Correa's environmental policies. Correa scored a huge political victory in September when voters overwhelmingly approved a new constitution, weakening the traditional political parties and business elites. Social movements, and the indigenous movement in particular, were instrumental in mobilizing their members to vote "yes"—but they have
in recent months increasingly distanced themselves from the government.

Although the Left has been in conflict with Correa since he took office in January 2007, September's defeat of the right wing has emboldened social movements in taking on government social and environmental policies. Indeed, water and anti-mining activists invoke the new constitution's strict environmental provisions in demanding local control over community territory.

Ivonne Ramos of Acción Ecologica, said, "The constitution prioritizes the use of water to ensure food sovereignty, for small livestock and agriculture, and for human consumption. Water for industry comes last."

And, in an interesting move, legislators usually close to Correa—from the Popular Democratic Movement (MPD) as well as Correa's own party, Alianza País (AP)—showed up to speak in support of the Water Law. While the MPD has become increasingly critical of Correa in recent weeks, it seems likely that AP lawmakers' presence has more to do with posturing than a real political shift.

Indigenous delegates from Bolivia, Peru, Guatemala and Mexico addressed the crowd and, recounting their own struggles in defense of water, expressed their solidarity with Ecuador's indigenous people.

Daniel Denvir is an independent journalist in Quito, Ecuador, and a 2008 recipient of the North American Congress on Latin America's Samuel Chavkin Investigative Journalism Grant. He is the editor in chief of caterwaulquarterly.com.