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Protests in Quito: government and demonstrators have reached an agreement
Photo: Santiago Fernandez/EPA
Indigenous groups in Ecuador had been protesting against social grievances in the country for 18 days - now they are ending their general strike.
At the mediation of the Bishops' Conference of the South American country, representatives of the government and the indigenous associations signed a joint declaration.
Leonidas Iza, head of the indigenous organization Conaie, and government representative Francisco Jiménez signed an agreement in Quito which, among other things, provides for an "end of mobilization" and a reduction in fuel prices by 15 US cents.
The agreement also provides for the establishment of a negotiating committee and the lifting of the state of emergency.
In addition, two government decrees on expanding oil production in the Amazon region and on mining are to be repealed or revised.
The protests would be temporarily "suspended," said Conaie boss Iza.
The influential organization Conaie had led the protest movement.
"We have reached the highest value that we all strive for: peace in our country," President Guillermo Lasso said on Twitter.
The demonstrators thus achieved that some of their demands were met: in addition to lower fuel prices, they had demanded a reduction in food prices, more jobs and more public money for health care and education.
Six people were killed in the violent clashes with the police, and reports of injuries varied between around 300 and 600 people.
ani/dpa/AFP