Hundreds of protesters — mostly students and recently laid off public employees — marched Wednesday in Quito, Ecuador to raise concern about the lack of job opportunities. (June 24)

Protesters additionally identified the IMF policies and president Lenin Moreno as part of the problem.

Protester Jackeine Artieda said: "We have thousands and thousands of layoffs in Ecuador. We consider that — after the pandemic — between 350,000 and 400,000 workers will lose their jobs. That is a higher rate than the whole world deaths by coronavirus according to WHO. We have the ethical duty of congregating in all sectors in order to fight for public education, public health, against the criminal and miserable layoffs. So the State takes care of the lack of food between the poorest."

Coronavirus has not only taken the lives of tens of thousands of locals, it’s also left over 173,000 workers unemployed thus far.

Hundreds of protesters - mostly students and recently laid-off public employees - marched this morning in Quito streets, despite the social distance rules that apply in the country since last march.
Protester Jackeine Artieda said: "We have thousands and thousands of laid-offs in Ecuador. We consider that - after the pandemic - between 350 000 and 400 000 workers will loose their jobs. That is a higher rate than the whole world deaths by coronavirus - according to WHO. We have the ethical duty of congregating all sectors in order to fight for the public education, public health, against the criminal and miserable lay offs. So the State takes care of the lack of food between the poorest."
Ecuador's death toll - per capita - during the pandemic is one of the worst. But the coronavirus has not only taken the lives of tens of thousands, it also left unemployed to at least 173 000 formal workers so far, in a country of 17 million. And the informal laborers that lost their income supply are impossible to count.
Protesters identify the IMF policies followed by unpopular president Lenin Moreno, as part of the problem.