The protests in Ecuador challenge the rising cost of living and the economic policies of President Guillermo Lasso. The demonstrations marked a third fatality on Thursday, underscoring the depth of anger among thousands who say the government has failed to ease economic pressure. The main organizer of the mobilization has drawn condemnation from human rights groups and the indigenous movement for actions during the protests.
The Ecuadorian Alliance of Human Rights Organizations identified the deceased as a 39-year-old man named Henry Quezada. Images circulating on social media show the man lying on the ground, motionless and unclothed, with injuries that appear to be caused by a rubber bullet and a payload of pellets, including a head wound that is clearly visible. These details have been reported by multiple human rights groups and by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador, known as Conaie.
Quezada’s death occurred during the eleventh straight day of demonstrations, when clashes erupted between protesters and police in central Quito. Officials have claimed that some demonstrators fired firearms while protecting others. A police statement circulated on social media claimed that the police were not using lethal weapons to manage public order, and that violent protesters were engaging in gunfire against officers.
El Arbolito Park again became a flashpoint, echoing scenes from October 2019 when a wave of protests by Conaie over fuel subsidies resulted in fatalities and widespread injuries. The current protests have been marked by intense street confrontations as security forces tried to break up gatherings.
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Further clashes unfolded as police deployed tear gas to disperse a large demonstration near the National Assembly. Indigenous leader Leonidas Iza, head of Conaie, addressed the crowd and explained his decision to continue without accepting all the dialogue proposals urged by various social and religious groups. He also noted that the government had granted conditional access to negotiations, proposing the creation of a people’s assembly through an initiative supported by the Casa de la Cultura.
The protests, which began on Monday, June 13, center on several demands: lower and freeze fuel prices, tighten controls on basic goods, oppose privatization of state companies, and resist expansion of oil and mining concessions in the region. Other concerns include broader calls for economic fairness and government transparency in handling the crisis affecting many Ecuadorians.
The latest fatality adds to a grim tally from the week, including a young protester who died after a fall on a mountainside amid clashes believed to be related to tear gas use near Quito. Reports from residents and local authorities describe the circumstances surrounding the second death as violent confrontations in Puyo, the capital of Pastaza province, with speculation about the handling of explosives during the unrest.