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A12 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 12 OctOber 2019
Indigenous pour in from Amazon to boost Ecuador protests

By GONZALO SOLANO captive police officers to
Associated Press carry a coffin containing
QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — the body of an indigenous
Hundreds more indigenous activist during a memorial
protesters poured into Ec- service. The man is said to
uador's capital from the have been killed during the
country's Amazon on Fri- clashes.
day, increasing pressure Earlier, one of eight cap-
on President Lenín Moreno tive officers was forced to
over fuel price hikes and drape a national flag on his
economic measures that shoulders and wear a hat
have sparked more than a used by some indigenous
week of anti-government people. The lone female
demonstrations. officer in the group was
Thousands of indigenous seen wiping away tears.
protesters have occupied The officers appeared to
the government's House of be unharmed, and were
Culture and nearby univer- released late Thursday.
sities in Quito, sometimes "The future is very dark,"
joined by union members said economic analyst
and students, in protests Fernando Martin. "I hope
that forced Moreno to both sides realize that what
move government opera- Anti-government protesters gather outside the Casa de la Cultura where indigenous protesters they're doing is hurting
tions from the capital to the are based, in Quito, Ecuador, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019. themselves and the coun-
port of Guayaquil. Associated Press try. This isn't good for Ecua-
Ecuador's president has dor."
said he will not back down Culture, Amazonian indige- of wells have forced state reduced number of pas- Ecuador's cuts in fuel subsi-
on the austerity measures nous leader Marlon Vargas oil company Petroecuador sengers at bus terminals in dies were among measures
due to the urgent need to said "we have taken over to declare "force majeure" Guayaquil, Quito and other announced amid a $4.2 bil-
stabilize the country's econ- the (state) institutions as - or forces beyond its con- cities, with bus companies lion credit plan with the In-
omy and deal with a debt well as oil wells and have trol - in its crude exports. warning of possible road ternational Monetary Fund,
he says he inherited from said there will be nothing A three-day national holi- blockages by protesters. which says the funds will
the previous administration. for Guayaquil or Quito " day in Ecuador began on On Thursday, anti-govern- strengthen the economy
On arriving at the House of Protests and occupations Friday and there was a ment protesters forced and generate jobs.q

Cuba's historical generation leaves top legislative body

By MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN ability to work more effi-
Associated Press ciently," Díaz-Canel said.
HAVANA (AP) — Cuba's "The more they attack and
top legislative body will no intimidate us, the great-
longer include members of er our will, our national
the country's historical gen- strength, our unity."
eration of former rebels, It remains unclear if the
part of a broader political changes truly affect the
reform that started to go workings of power in Cuba,
into effect on Thursday. a single-party state whose
Members of the National decision-making processes
Assembly voted near-unan- remain opaque. Raúl Cas-
imously for Miguel-Díaz Ca- tro remains head of the
nel, 59, to remain in place Communist Party, the ul-
as president. They also vot- timate authority on the is-
ed for 75-year-old Esteban land. And the country's mili-
Lazo to remain head of the tary and intelligence ser-
National Assembly. Under vices wield deep influence
the reform, Lazo also be- over virtually every working
comes head of the Coun- of the state.
cil of State, the top legisla- Thursday's votes were the
tive body, a post previously first to put in effect the gov-
held by Díaz-Canel and his ernment restructuring con-
predecessors Raúl Castro tained in a constitutional
and Fidel Castro. In this July 8, 2016 file photo, lawmakers attend a National Assembly session in Havana, Cuba. reform approved in a na-
The Council of State over- Associated Press tional referendum this year.
sees the passage of new One stated intention of the
laws and has some over- changes divide the pow- Addressing the assembly, Cuba to drop its support reform is to pass control of
sight of the president of ers of the once-dominant Díaz-Canel said the coun- for Venezuelan President the Cuban government to
the republic. In the coming presidency held by Fidel try was withstanding ener- Nicolás Maduro. new generations after de-
months, Díaz-Canel will ap- and then Raúl Castro, who gy shortages brought on by "If there's been anything cades dominated by the
point a prime minister to run simultaneously held all of new sanction imposed by good about these tense Castro's aging fellow fight-
the daily workings of gov- the country's most impor- the Trump administration, days it's been that it's re- ers, who took control in
ernment. On paper, the tant positions. which says it wants to force vealed Cuba's tremendous 1959.q