From En Marcha No. 1267
Central Organ of the Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Ecuador
April 25 to May 1, 2005

Editorial

The People Do Not Forgive Those Who Betray Them

Another anti-popular and corrupt government fell due to the struggle of the masses. This is the third consecutive government of those elected universally that had to flee from Carondelet before the anger of a people that is demanding social transformations.

Although the struggle of the masses has been great and with expressions of combativity in particular since Monday the 19th, the lack of strength in the popular movement once again has allowed for an oligarchic reshuffle to take place, this time with the designation of Alfredo Palacio as President of the Republic.

This new government has arisen as a result of the political crisis of the country, to a degree that touched the popular struggle and the deepening of the contradictions within the bourgeoisie that fed the crisis. It is a government that is born committed to the U.S. government, to the native ruling classes and in particular to the Social Christian Party and the Democratic Left.

It has arisen without prestige and weakened because the workers and the people have expressed their lack of belief that it can resolve their problems; but the distrust affects not only the government, but all the institutions and therefore the demand has taken root: "They should all go."

Confronted with this crisis our Party, as well as the organizations of the Popular Front and other sectors of the people have put forward the struggle for the formation of a popular government, that would be formed in a collective way with representatives of the various organizations of workers, peasants, indigenous people, youth, etc., of progressive and left-wing parties and movements, of the churches, the Armed Forces, etc. However, given the selection of Alfredo Palacio as President we demand that he fulfill what was put forward in his electoral campaign when he was part of the presidential ticket, a proposal that had aspects related to the defense of national sovereignty, the attention to the basic needs of the population, the welfare and progress of the country and the peoples of Ecuador.

Although the oligarchy grouped in the Social Christian Party and the Democratic Left called on the "citizen mobilization" to dismiss the CSJ [Supreme Judicial Court – translator’s note], in reality they sought to utilize it as a pressure mechanism for a solution to the political crisis in the framework of legality. Now, given the bursting out of the struggle of the masses, it has been able to maneuver and dodge the moment with a "constitutional" resource granting legitimacy and support to the new President, trying to conceal the break up in which the bourgeois institutions find themselves. It is evident that the oligarchy and imperialism are worried that, once again, the people have trampled upon legality in order to win changes.

But the conclusion of the events has not put an end to the crisis, since there is insistent talk of advancing the presidential elections; on the other hand in the National Congress, the parliamentary majority headed by the Social Christian Party and the Democratic Left are interested in restructuring the Supreme Electoral Court and the Constitutional Court. But at the same time the National Congress is the target of action of the protests.

The discontent of the masses is continuing and will not stop because an oligarchic reshuffle has taken place. The desire for change that once again has been expressed in this day of struggle, together with that discontent, are main elements of this crisis that will keep the masses in the streets seeking the road to their final liberation.

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