[News] Correa: National Strike in Ecuador Part of Destabilization Plans

[Anti-Imperialist News]

*Correa: National Strike in Ecuador Part of Destabilization Plans *

17 July 2015

*http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Correa-National-Strike-in-Ecuador-Part-of-Destabilization-Plans-20150717-0011.html 
*

/*“What they could not achieve at the ballot box they want to achieve 
through force, with violence, through manipulation,” said Correa. */

Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa is questioning the motives of 
opposition political forces calling for a national strike in August of 
this year.

"Now that we have the highest wages in the Andean region they're call 
for a strike? Now that workers are affiliated into the social security 
system they call for a strike? Now that the rights of our people are 
respected they called for a strike?" asked Correa on Thursday.

The Ecuadorean head of state said that the upcoming strike by opposition 
groups was called by their leadership for political motives: “what they 
could not achieve at the ballot box they want to achieve through force, 
with violence, through manipulation,” he said.

The South American country has recently been witness to often-violent 
protests by opposition forces whose aim is to create instability. These 
protests, which counted on the presence of prominent right-wing leaders, 
were ostensibly triggered by the introduction of an inheritance and 
capital gains bill aimed at redistributing wealth in the country.

​A recent protest in the capital of Quito saw masked protesters attack 
police in an effort to break police lines and storm the presidential 
palace.

Intelligence sources revealed the day before the protest that tactic 
would be pursued in an effort to foment a coup against the popular and 
democratically-elected government.

The cobbled-together opposition to Correa's government include strange 
bedfellows, with some small leftist political forces, many whom were 
close to previous neoliberal governments, aligning themselves with 
right-wing politicians.

August's national strike has been called by in part by trade unions 
opposed to the government.

President Correa has warned the recent spate of protests is part of a 
broader strategy in the region to sow instability in countries run by 
leftist governments. A similar strategy was employed against Venezuela 
and the socialist government of Nicolas Maduro, where violent protests 
resulted in the deaths of 43 people, the majority of whom were 
government supporters. Those protests eventually led to unilateral 
sanctions against Venezuela by the United States.

“The (protests against the) inheritance and capital gains laws were just 
an excuse, the reality is that it is the permanent mobilization to try 
to wear down the government, to destabilize,” said Correa.

-- 
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