- Title: ECUADOR-PROTEST/QUITO Thousands come out for new round of protests in Ecuador
- Date: 3rd July 2015
- Summary: QUITO, ECUADOR (JULY 2, 2015) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS PROTESTERS CLASHING WITH POLICE RIOT GEAR POLICE FORCED TO RETREAT PROTESTERS HITTING POLICE WITH RIOT GEAR WITH POLES POLICE TRYING ORGANISE VARIOUS MORE OF CLASHES WITH POLICE TRYING TO RECOLLECT MOMENTUM VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS YELLING (SOUNDBITE) (English) QUITO PROTESTER, NORA IZUR
- Embargoed: 18th July 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Ecuador
- Country: Ecuador
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA4IEWUYEMY35B9X48QH9CYAAN2
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Tense protests continued in Ecuador late Thursday (July 2) night as thousands took to the streets outside the government palace in Quito to demand political change as left-leaning president Rafael Correa seeks to promote a controversial overhaul of the country's inheritance taxes.
In recent weeks, protesters have filled the streets of Ecuador to protest moves by Correa to raise taxes on inheritances by up to 77 percent in a bid that critics say is nothing more than a money grab. Correa says the law is designed to avoid accumulation of wealth in the Andean country and instead seeks to redistribute it. According to Quito, the tax plan will only affect two percent of the country.
Correa has suspended debate in Ecuador's National Assembly over the proposed legislation to ease tensions ahead of a visit from Pope Francis on July 6 to 8.
That move did little to avert further clashes Thursday evening as protesters stood their ground and pushed back against police in riot gear.
Demonstrations were also organised Thursday night in Guayaquil and Cuenca, among other cities. In addition to opposing Correa's inheritance tax adjustment, the protesters ranging from doctors to indigenous groups are opposing Correa's exploration plans for energy and lack of cooperation with the media, among other causes.
Correa's Alianza PAIS movement, for its part, organised a counter protest in Quito in a show of support for the leader.
Correa has expressed dismay over the activism that threatens to disrupt the visit by Pope Francis. But the protesters see that stance as a ploy.
"He's (Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa) taking it as something political the arrival of the Pope. We are not going to allow that he makes it into something political. We're going to take it as the reality that we live so that the whole world knows how we live in Ecuador and that we don't want and we won't permit ourselves to become like they are in Venezuela, in spite of how he (Correa) uses all these soldiers and police officers as is his way as an authoritarian, populist communist," said protester Nora Izurieta.
Local polls have shown seven out of ten Ecuadoreans oppose the new inheritance tax. According to the controversial law, the tax base on inheritances are to start at $35,400 up from the original $68,800. For direct heirs, the tax rate would be between 2.5 percent to 47.5 percent but indirect heirs or companies could face a tax fee of 77.5 percent on their inheritances.
The opposition to the plan grew first from social media but have been picked up by a broad swath of Ecuadoreans from the political opposition to unions. Thursday's action was also being organised on social media.
First elected to office back in 2006, Correa was re-elected to presidency in 2013 vowing to tackle poverty that will allow him to deepen his socialist programme. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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