“We started the caravan for Yasunía, peace, nature. We want peace for the people, but also for the children and women living in the jungle, for those affected by the oil industry,” said young ecologist Helena Gualinga.

A popular consultation on the project will be held on 20 August, together with the general elections that have come sufficiently in advance. In addition, on the same day a new questionnaire will be carried out in Quito to decide whether or not to accept the exploitation of metals at the Chocó Andino.

The Caravan will pass through the provinces of Santo Domingo, Manabí and Guayas with the aim of obtaining a favourable vote to block the oil exploitation of Yasunín. Indigenous people denounce the pollution this exploitation would entail. Other citizens, on the other hand, see work and wealth in the industrial sphere.

The Government of Ecuador opposes interrogation and says that in 20 years they would lose $16,470 million if oil exploitation were blocked.

Ecuadorian State

The situation in Ecuador is complicated when the presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was murdered a few days ago. Five days later, Pedro Briones, one of the leaders of the Citizen Revolution, has also been killed by strangers. And before these killings, the mayor of Manta, Agustín Intrago, and the mayor of the alliance Actuemos, Ryder Sánchez.

The members of the Citizen Revolution denounce that violence is increasingly spread by mafias and drug trafficking and blame the government of Guillermo Lasso.