09 May 2022 | 02:33 PM UTC
Ecuador: Protesting teachers block roads in multiple cities May 9
Teachers hold protests, blocking roads in several cities in Ecuador May 9. Avoid all protests as a precaution.
Event
Teachers affiliated with the National Union of Educators (Union Nacional de Educadores, UNE) are holding protests in several cities in Ecuador May 9. As part of the protests, demonstrators have set fire to debris on multiple roads, blocking transport.
In Guayaquil, demonstrators have set up roadblocks at the intersection of Avenida 10 de Agosto and Calle Antonio Elizalde. In Petrillo, protesters have blocked Highway 48, halting transport between Guayaquil and Daule. Protesters have likewise disrupted transport in Santo Domingo, Guayaquil, and Manabi. Additional protests are possible throughout Ecuador.
The protests are likely to cause significant transport and business disruptions. Police will likely deploy to protest locations, and clashes are possible, especially if authorities attempt to forcibly disperse demonstrators.
Context
The teachers' demands include increasing the education budget, reforming the teachers' salary system, and restoring the jobs of dismissed teachers. Some UNE professors had previously declared a hunger strike with these same demands, and the protests and roadblocks are in sympathy with the hunger strikers.
Advice
Avoid all protests as a precaution. Allow for additional travel time near demonstration locations. Do not attempt to drive through roadblocks; wait for police to dismantle them instead. If violence occurs, immediately leave the area and seek shelter in a non-governmental building. Heed the instructions of security personnel.
