This comes as Ecuador’s President announced that executive order 883 “liberates the price of diesel and extra gasoline.”
Ecuador’s transport drivers took to the streets Thursday to start an indefinite nationwide strike to protest the elimination of gasoline subsidies announced by President Lenin Moreno as part of a reform package with the recommendations of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) following a loan deal with the country.
“Starting Oct. 3 at midnight we announce the total suspension of all activities regarding transportation as there are no financial resources to face the new price of gasoline,” the President of the Federation of Urban Transportation of Ecuador (Fenatu) Manuel Medina said, urging “all to maintain unity.”
Workers’ unions of public transport and interprovincial buses, as well as the Chamber of Transportation in Quito and Guayaquil later joined the strike.
The decision resulted in the government decree that all schools, both public and private, to suspend classes Thursday, warning that “if necessary they will active constitutional norms as by law the paralyzation of public services is illegal.”
This comes as Ecuador’s President announced that executive order 883 “liberates the price of diesel and extra gasoline.”
Prices are expected to increase by 25 to 120 percent starting Oct. 3, as the gallon of gasoline will go from US$1.85 to US$2,30; while diesel, used by most freight transport, will increase from US$1,03 to US$2,27.
Meanwhile, the IMF praised on Wednesday Moreno’s reforms saying in a statement that these “are aimed at improving the resilience and sustainability of the Ecuadorian economy, and fostering solid and inclusive growth.”
Sources: teleSUR, El Comercio, Ministry of Communication.
Be the first to comment