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Agreement Between the National Government and the Native, Social, and Farmer Organizations of Ecuador The National Government, conscious of the existence of historical conflicts not resulting in the [good] relations between the State and the Indigenous People, and that the process of structural adjustment impacts the indigenous people and poor sectors of the country, decided with the Indigenous Nationalities, People and Organizations, to impel a process of understanding and permanent national dialogue. It aims to generate state policies to overcome the historical exclusion of the people and the inequalities created by the [economic] adjustment. To this end room for citizen participation will be created that allow a collective construction of the solutions that the country demands and establish a new type of relation between the State and the Indigenous People. In this spirit of building the present agreement was signed with the following content: 1 - The Government is committed not to change the prices of the extra and diesel gasoline during this year, the Government being able to defer this condition if the economic and financial conditions of the State therefore allow it. With respect to the transport tariffs the agreement establishes a work table to analyze and review the tariffs at national and provincial level. 2. - The National Government committed to reduce the price of 15 kilos cylinders of gas from US$2.00 to US$1.60 until the system of distribution of the "popular gas" to the poor sectors of the country and the city, throughout the country settles down with the participation of the Indigenous, Farmer, Social Organizations and Sectional Governments to the same price and will remain at US$1.60. 3. - To discard the introduction of kerosine in the national market. 4. - The National Government, is committed to make effective the obligatory legal disposition will benefit children, students, seniors and the incapacitated by reducing 50% of the value of fares on public transport. This will be developed by a national campaign of awareness and citizen action. 5. - Reconstruction, fortification and capitalization of the National Bank of Development and the National Finance Corporation so that it has greater direct action so they can grant special credits to the small and medium producers, microindustralists, as well as to the rural and urban communal companies, accompanied by qualification and technical assistance. These credits will give attention in a special window qualified to effect it. As initial fund of capitalization from the National Bank of Development, 10 million dollars will be assigned. (This point will be discussed around the table with respect to the operation of the CFN [National Finance Corporation] like a new bank.) 6. - To impel the legal mechanisms to recover through compulsory means the resources given to the bank, secured businesses and others indebted in this way, and to guarantee the processes of extradition asked for by the National Government. (This point will be discussed around the table with respect to the term of 6 months for its completion.) 7. - Recovery of the portfolio due from the banks taken over by the Agency of Guarantee of Deposits, AGD. (This point will be discussed around the table with respect to automatic transference to the state of the assets and liabilities, and at maximum term of 6 months for it.) 8. - Increase the budget for indigenous organizations, like CODENPE, DINEIB and The National Direction of Indigenous Health. To promote the coordination and participation of the Social Organizations. 9. - Participation of the Social and Indigenous Organizations in processing Projects of Social Investment in exchange with the external debt, funds that will be reverted, with preference for the 50 cantons and the 200 poorer parishes of the country on the basis of a plan of Emergent Development. 10. - To solve conflicts of land, waters, and other natural resources, giving specific instructions to the corresponding public groups. 11. - Support migrants inside and outside of the country through agreements, laws and allocation of funds for it. 12. - To promote the basic decentralization of the State, to support the projects of the Coordination of Alternative Local Governments. The Government will arrange for the World-wide Program of Foods and other international organizations, will acquire the nutritional products material to these programs, with preference to the producers and companies of each province. 13. - Dialogue and agreements on the document "Propositions of the Indigenous, Farmer and Social Movements of Ecuador for National Dialogue, in relation to Fiscal, Financial, Social, Commercial and Monetary Policies". 14. - To search for consensuses for the reform of Social Security and proceed to the payment of the debt to the Farmer's Social Insurance for which the mechanisms and respective terms will be defined. 15. - To apply the prevailing arrangement on the elimination of the rates for services that is not received by the user. 16. - Not to allow the regionalization of the Colombia Plan, nor to involve the country in another people's conflict. (This point will be discussed around the table with respect to "reclamation from indemnifications to the Governments of the U.S.A. and Colombia on the part of the Ecuadorian Government for all the damages that are caused to the society, to the Ecuadorian economy and nature by the execution of the Colombia Plan".) 17. - Special treatment for all the Nationalities and People of Ecuador, especially of the Amazonian Region for its development. The Tenth Round of Oil Bids at Auction will complete the State Political Constitution and the prevailing International Agreements. 18. - To finish the unfinished irrigation projects in the smallest possible time, through the creation of an Irrigation Fund and to compel studies for new projects. 19. - To complete the approved Social Expenditure in the General Budget of the State, and to increase this expenditure in a way in which it frees product resources for the renegotiation of the external debt. 20. - To extend the discussion on the Tax Reformation in order that the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Internal Tax Service can receive the observations from the law project originating from a National Dialogue that will be made up to the 28th of February of this year. 21. - To endorse the proposal of the Executive so that Customs are managed by the Internal Tax Service, proposing to the debate the mechanism of the decision to physically board in dock, and the elimination of the tariff exonerations. (With regard to the form in which in which the mechanism of the decision to physically board in dock, and the elimination of the tariff exonerations will be discussed.) 22. - To make viable the implementation and subscription of agreements between Indigenous Organizations and the National Government. 23. - To constitute working sessions within one month, to treat the previous points and to solve those not contemplated in this document, such that are evident in the proposal given to the National Government by the Indigenous and Farmers Movement. Transitory Arrangements: a.- Once the Agreement is signed by the Honorable President of the Republic and National Presidents of the Indigenous, Farmer and Social Organizations of Ecuador the indigenous uprising will end. b. - The National Government will arrange the immediate freedom of all the people detained in regard to his participation in the indigenous uprising, and will suspend the legal actions against them and their leaders. c. - The National Government will determine the amount of the indemnifications due to the deceased and to those who were seriously wounded having been hospitalized in Health Centers in the country between the 21st of January and the 6th of February this year. d. - The National Government will order the immediate return of nonperishable foods, equipment and documentation retained by the Public Forces during the Indigenous Uprising. Gustavo Noboa Bejarano Pedro Pinto Rubianes Marcelo Santos Vera Antonio Vargas Pedro de la Cruz Marco Murillo Guillermo Touma José Agualsaca Jorge Loor |