Right to free speech and assembly
In May 2022, a national strike was called in Ecuador by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie), with the support of the Unitary Front of Workers (FUT), the National Union of Educators (UNE) and unions representing farmers, medical associations, retirees, public unions, educators, students and carriers, to demand respect for collective rights.
During the demonstrations, five people were killed by the police forces, which used deterrence weapons in a lethal manner and arrested dozens of participants. A significant number of the 132 detainees were charged with crimes such as sabotage, terrorism or resistance. In addition to the complaints of kidnapping, persecution and planning attacks against leaders of the demonstrations, the authorities resorted to media censorship and violation of the right to freedom of expression, blocking information, cutting off the internet and social networks, hacking personal email accounts and terminating mobile network service. The unions, including the Ecuadorian Confederation of Unitary Class Organizations of Workers (Cedocut), denounced the escalation of state violence and threats.
