Ecuador’s Indigenous Federation Calls Truce Amid Ongoing Protests
On October 1, 2025, the Federation of Kichwa Peoples of Northern Ecuador announced a temporary truce as a “gesture of good faith and willingness to dialogue” with President Daniel Noboa, reports 24brussels.
The Indigenous organization expressed its openness to negotiations with the Noboa administration, seeking to ensure that its “historic and legitimate rights are heard, recognized and respected.” The Federation emphasized the necessity of conducting dialogue within an “intercultural space that respects and guarantees” its traditions and ancestral institutions as enshrined in the Constitution.
Furthermore, the Federation demanded an “immediate” cessation of the “criminalization, judicialization, and repression” against its leaders, communities, and organizational actions. “Our struggle is legitimate and constitutionally protected,” the Federation asserted, highlighting its representation of multiple Indigenous groups in the Andean region, particularly in Imbabura province, which is currently the epicenter of protests.
To ensure a transparent dialogue process, the Federation requested the presence of national and international observers to monitor discussions and adherence to government commitments.
The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), which instigated the national strike, has not yet responded to the Federation’s declaration. CONAIE President Marlon Vargas reiterated on Tuesday that there had been no communication with the government to halt the protests, which were initiated by Noboa’s September 12 decree that eliminated the diesel subsidy.
“We have no contact. We have not spoken. As long as all Ecuadorian grassroots, communities, peoples, and nationalities do not authorize us, we will remain firm,” said Vargas. He warned that without an end to harassment in areas of mobilization, dialogue remains impossible. “We cannot negotiate under pressure, nor while our brothers are being criminalized,” he added.
Vargas’ statement came shortly after Alvaro Castillo, the mayor of Ibarra, indicated that preliminary talks had occurred between Indigenous leaders and the Noboa administration. Meanwhile, as protests persisted into the early hours of Wednesday—the 10th day of demonstrations—social organizations obstructed roads across multiple provinces, including Pichincha, Cañar, Bolivar, Chimborazo, and Sucumbíos.
This wave of protests follows Noboa’s decision to eliminate the diesel subsidy, raising the fuel price from $1.80 to $2.80 per gallon. The Indigenous movement previously mobilized in mass protests in 2019 and 2022, resulting in the reversal of similar subsidy cuts by past presidents Lenin Moreno and Guillermo Lasso, aimed at fiscal adjustments linked to International Monetary Fund credit programs.
Source: EFE
