Quito, September 30, 2010
In Latin America we have gone from bloody military dictatorship to the dictatorship of transnational capital to neoliberalism. The sectors that benefit from this have always been the same (bankers, commercial entrepreneurs, landowners). And we the impoverished, Indigenous, workers, men and women, have always been the victims, but we have always been fighters who stand for democracy of the oppressed. With this strength and legitimacy we reject any dictatorship from where ever it comes.
The political crisis in Ecuador at this moment caused by the insubordination of the police has been turned by police officers and some military sectors into a coup attempt, behind which is undoubtedly Ecuador's rightwing and the forces of imperialism.
We have no doubt that this political crisis is a right-wing reaction against the 2008 Constitution, adopted by the affirmative vote of 64% of Ecuadorians, and is therefore a clear threat to democracy, Plurinationalism, and the Sumak Kawsay (living well).
In the geopolitical dimension it is also a threat to the Venezuelan and Bolivian processes. It is not coincidental that reactionary sectors of the country celebrated the attempts of destabilization in the Venezuelan elections. They had this same attitude toward attempts to overthrow the Bolivian government. Now the conservative sectors of the country have been adding to these dictatorial attempts.
What is the position of the organized social sectors? The vast majority of popular organizations that resist against dictatorship and neo-liberalism of the pro-imperialist oligarchy in Ecuador, and despite our deep disagreements with the national government that has tried some of our leaders as terrorists, this is no reason to stand with our historic enemies. Behind the protest of the police and their wage claims is the claim of ignorance of the Constitution where we recognize many of our proposals and historical struggles.
Rafael Correa's Citizen Revolution formed broad alliances with right-wing groups in mining, oil, agribusiness, etc., and attacked and persecuted popular left-wing organizations (especially the Indigenous movement) which leaves those reactionary sectors free to act in this way.
Leaving no room for confusion, our position is:
1. Reject the coup attempt and defend the Plurinational State.
2. We declare ourselves in permanent assemblies and alert to mobilize in defense of plurinationalism.
3. As part of a plurinational democracy, the only revolutionary alternative is to fight against supporters of the dictatorship, and to deepen urgent changes in the process of agrarian revolution.
4. We gather ourselves in a large plurinational dialogue of all Ecuadorians, in an atmosphere of peace and democracy to build a large plurinational consensus as the best way to resolve the crisis peacefully.
We have already suffered too much with dictatorships, Honduras still hurts. No more dictatorship in Latin America.
For the Governing Council
DelfÃn Tenesaca
PRESIDENTE DE ECUARUNARI
Translated by the Ecuador Solidarity Network.