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<font size=4><b>Ecuadorians Protest New Water Law<br><br>
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<a href="http://upsidedownworld.org/main/content/view/2136/1/" eudora="autourl">
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/content/view/2136/1/<br>
</a>Written by Jennifer Moore <br>
Wednesday, 30 September 2009 <br><br>
“We're crazy for water,” chanted about a thousand campesinos as they
marched through the streets of downtown Cuenca in southern Ecuador on
Monday. The march, called for by the Confederation of Indigenous
Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), was part of a nation-wide mobilization
against a new water law. It included intermittent road blockades
throughout the highlands over the course of the day that by all acounts
were peaceful. <br><br>
The protests took place amidst a heavy onslaught of insults and efforts
to delegitimize their concerns, largely by President Rafael Correa.
Correa told EFE news service that the popular movements are being used by
the right to destabilize his government. He also interrupted national
television programming over the weekend to urge Ecuadorians “not to let
themselves be deceived by the same old manipulators...who benefit from
chaos.” <br><br>
However, despite Correa's insistence that he would not be forced to
dialogue, by day's end the CONAIE had suspended protests to enter into
talks with him. Campesino organizations in Cuenca also agreed to
dialogue, while the Amazonian branch of the CONAIE reported that it
remains mobilized, asking for its own talks with the government in order
to address issues specific to the region. <br><br>
The protests come exactly one year since Ecuador's 2008 political
constitution was passed, which recognizes the right to water, rights for
nature and which declared the country a plurinational state. However,
indigenous and campesino organizations involved in the protests criticize
the government for having digressed from the highly lauded constitution.
The constitution passed in a national referendum on September 28, 2008
with 64 percent of the vote. <br><br>
Criticisms concerning the new water law, which was initially scheduled
for first debate in the National Assembly last Saturday, apply to the
privatization of water, limits on community participation in water
management, prioritization of water access for industrial users and lack
of sanctions for water contamination, and more. In anticipation of this
week's protests, the debate was postponed for several weeks. <br><br>
In Cuenca, representatives of rural water systems from across the
south-central province focused on aspects of the water bill
pertaining to water use for mining projects that are deemed a national
priority. Some of the most advanced metal mining projects in the country
are being developed within the páramo outlying the city. Páramo are
fragile high altitude wetlands, or essentially a deep sponge composed of
soil and vegetation that regulates the water supply for the city and
rural populations involved in dairy farming and other agricultural
activities.<br><br>
Campesino groups, led by Rural Water Systems President Carlos Pérez,
proposed that mining should be prohibited in the páramo, which should
also be off limits to other intensive activities such as farming and
motorized sports. Communities within the vicinity of Cuenca have for
years been opposing large scale gold mining projects belonging to
Canadian-financed companies such as Iamgold and International Minerals
Corporation. <br><br>
These groups were also concerned about reduced participation for rural
water boards in water management under the draft law, which Pérez says,
“are organizations that have been created at the community level over
many years of hard work,” questioning the state's interest to now step in
and overtake control. <br><br>
Pérez is hopeful that they will have time now before the water law is
debated for a national dialogue. However, he says, such dialogue will
only be meaningful “if there is a serious commitment on the part of
Assembly Members and the President, given our current lack of confidence
in this government.” Pérez's organization previously got involved in
talks over a new mining law passed in January, which did not
substantially incorporate their proposals. They hope the mining law will
be declared unconstitutional by Ecuador's Constitutional Court based upon
an appeal they filed earlier this year. <br><br>
Before yesterday the potential for dialogue did not seem promising.
President Correa had repeatedly insulted indigenous organizations and
their leaders, insisting that they “are lying” when they say the water
law allows for privatization. He has cited both Article 3 of the law and
the constitution which oppose commodification of the precious resource.
He also accused leaders of the CONAIE and the highland indigenous
organization ECUARUNARI of being part of a privileged class. Both groups
rejected his insults and cite them as part of their rationale for
Monday's protests. <br><br>
Assembly Member Lourdes Tibán from the indigenous Pachakutik movement
also wrote an open letter to Correa on Monday, saying, “Enough of your
insults Mr. President.” She criticized him for using the term “golden
ponchos” against indigenous movement leaders, which she says was coined
by the right-wing oligarchy more than 10 years ago, around the time that
the indigenous movement was growing in political influence and
participated in the overthrow of two governments. <br><br>
She further observed that Correa has not made such accusations against
indigenous members who are supportive of his political movement, despite
personal achievements that have brought them a long way out of poverty
and marginalization, including past employment with the Interamerican
Development Bank in one case. The difference, she says, is political:
<br>
“You are very mistaken to think that the indigenous person who is servile
is good, while the indigenous person who is critical of your government
is part of the elite and a golden poncho," said Tibán. "If this
is what you think, it is a very poor definition and an unacceptable
perspective.” <br><br>
She also did not hesitate to recall a recent scandal over President
Correa's brother who was revealed to have obtained tens of millions of
dollars in public contracts over the last couple of years, and says his
insults deserve to be tried in court. <br><br>
Finally, Pérez publicly denied that his organization has any interest “in
causing upheaval in the country” or in “overthrowing any government.”
However, he indicated that they are serious about their demands and calls
Monday's march “just a warm up” for further actions which could escalate
depending on how talks progress.<br><br>
“If [the President] continues with his high-handed attitude and insults,”
he concludes, “we know that he who sows wind, reaps tempests.” <br><br>
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