CONAIE Reports 30 Days of Brutal Suppression Under Noboa: 3 Fatalities and Multiple Injuries

Original article: CONAIE denuncia 30 días de represión bajo Noboa: 3 asesinados y decenas de heridos

The excessive repression by state forces, ordered by the government of Daniel Noboa in response to the national strike in Ecuador, which has now lasted 30 days, has resulted in 3 deaths and numerous injuries, according to the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE).

The strike began following the signing of Executive Decree 126 on September 12, through which the right-wing administration eliminated the subsidy for diesel and increased its price from $1.80 to $2.80 per gallon.

This price hike directly affected transportation costs, agricultural production, and the household economy of many sectors, especially Indigenous and rural communities that rely on diesel for their productive activities and mobility. This prompted CONAIE, along with the United Workers Front (FUT), the National Student Coordinator (CONAES), and other organizations, to declare a state of permanent mobilization.

Through the protests, citizens taking to the streets have also voiced their opposition to the lack of medical supplies, the legalization of extractive mining and oil activities in national reserves—including the Galapagos—and the systematic violations of human rights that have occurred since the declaration of «Internal Armed Conflict» by the Executive.

CONAIE stated on social media that «for 30 days, the government of Daniel Noboa has responded with bullets, tear gas, and arrests to a people demanding justice and dignity.»

They identified the Minister of the Interior, John Reimberg, as one of the main culprits behind the brutal repression of the protests, which have led to human rights violations.

In recent statements, Reimberg confirmed the Executive’s refusal to engage in dialogue with the Indigenous movement to establish agreements that address their demands and bring an end to the protests.

«From now on, anything that happens (in the context of the national strike) will be their responsibility,» he told the press.

CONAIE responded that «the statements of Minister John Reimberg do not obscure the obvious: there is a systematic policy of repression.»

«Three brothers, José Guamán, Efraín Fuerez, and Rosa Paqui, were murdered; dozens were injured, persecuted, or criminalized,» they reported.

«We demand truth, justice, and reparation,» they emphasized in a post on X, accompanied by a video showing the excessive use of public force against Ecuadorians exercising their right to protest.

3 Deaths Due to Noboa’s «Indiscriminate,» «Disproportionate,» and «Systematic» Repression

It is worth noting that on September 28, the first death at the hands of armed forces during the repressive actions against the protests was reported.

On that day, Kichwa leader Efraín Fuerez, 46, died in Cotacachi after being struck by a projectile that fragmented into four parts. Reports indicate that the shot entered through his back and exited through his chest, causing lung injuries and a cervical fracture.

CONAIE classified the murder of the community member as a «state crime» perpetrated under the orders of President Daniel Noboa.

«We denounce the murder of Efraín Fuerez, a 46-year-old Kichwa community member from Cotacachi, who was shot three times by the armed forces on the Panamerican North during the repression ordered by Daniel Noboa against the legitimate National Strike 2025,» they stated on that occasion.

Later, on October 15, the humanitarian crisis deepened with two new fatalities. Rosa Elena Paqui, from the Kichwa Saraguro community, 61, died from cardiac arrest after inhaling tear gas during clashes in Loja.

«We express our deep solidarity and condolences to the family and community of Gunudel for the death of our sister Rosa Elena Paqui, due to cardiac arrest caused by the excessive use of tear gas used indiscriminately by the police,» stated the Indigenous Confederation in a condolence note shared on social media.

On the same day, José Guamán Izama, a 30-year-old farmer from the community of Cachibiro, died after being shot in the chest during a mobilization in the city of Otavalo.

A report published by the Alliance of Organizations for Human Rights in Ecuador painted a grim picture of the government’s handling of the National Strike 2025, accusing President Daniel Noboa of deploying «indiscriminate,» «disproportionate,» and «systematic» repression that has left hundreds of victims and violated fundamental constitutional guarantees.

With data collected up to October 18, the second weekly bulletin of the Alliance recorded 377 human rights violations, 205 arrested individuals, 296 injured, 15 temporarily missing, and 3 deceased. The document noted that repression has escalated «with the mass and disproportionate deployment of military and police forces.»

In light of this situation, organizations such as Amnesty International (AI), the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH), and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), among others, have raised their voices to alert about the situation in Ecuador, marked by excessive use of force, militarization of protests, arbitrary detentions, and restrictions on press freedom.