Ecuador’s government said ongoing Indigenous protests will be brought to an end by Wednesday, following a security operation in the northern province of Imbabura.
“The strike must end today. We hope it ends today — at the latest, tomorrow — but we will not allow this situation to drag on through the week,” Interior Minister Zaida Rovira said Tuesday in an interview with local broadcaster Ecuavisa.
Military and police forces were deployed early Tuesday to clear the E-35 highway, which has been blocked by Indigenous groups since September 22. The protests, now in their 24th day, have disrupted transit and targeted President Daniel Noboa’s administration over economic and social grievances.