Ecuador: Union members staging nationwide protests Sept. 21

Event

Union members affiliated with the United Workers' Front (Frente Unitario de Trabajadores, FUT) are staging demonstrations across Ecuador Sept. 21 to demand that the government announce a plan to pay off the debt owed to the country's social security system.

While organizers did not immediately announce precise locations for all of their planned protests, related gatherings are likely near the Carondelet Palace in Quito and Parque Centenario in Guayaquil. Demonstrations in other cities are likely to take place in central plazas and on major thoroughfares. While the demonstrations are likely to be peaceful, they will probably cause localized business and transport disruptions, and police are likely to deploy to monitor protest activity.

Advice

Avoid all demonstrations as a precaution. Do not attempt to drive through any roadblocks that materialize; wait for the police to dismantle them instead. Allow for additional travel time near protests. Heed the instructions of security personnel.