The Ethnographical and the Political:
Video Making and the Ecuadorian Indigenous People's Movement

In this lecture , Peruvian Documentary maker Miguel Huarcaya will screen several videos product of his extensive collaboration with the Department of Communication of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE). In addition to describing that experience, Mr. Huarcaya will comment on the present cultural and political condition of Ecuadorian indigenous population.

This is a Bi-Lingual event in Spanish and English

These lectures and screenings are held in wheelchair accessible sites; if you would like to have a signer present or would like more information about these events please call please call 859.581.0033 or email us mail@mwg.org

In Ecuador, on January 21 of 2000, an uprising of indigenous people, with last-minute support from low and mid-level military officers, succeeded in ousting the corrupted president, Jamil Mahuad. Unlawfully favoring the banking oligarchy, Mahuad's economic policies had been rapidly increasing the population of destitute Ecuadorians, most of them indigenous. Inflation was rampant and during his mandate, the national currency lost about four fifths of its value. Mahuad even blocked the people's bank accounts, allowing corrupted bankers to flee the country with all their clients' money. In despite of the deployment of 30,000 troops to prevent the Indians from reaching Quito, the Ecuadorian capital, by January 20 tens of thousands had made their way into the city. Their cause won the support of students and other sectors of Ecuadorian society, who organized support demonstrations.

On January 21, thousands of Indians and their allies surrounded the Congress. Several units of the army broke ranks and allowed indigenous activists to seize the building. Hours later, the movement declared a new government of "National Salvation," and tens of thousands poured into the streets of Quito to welcome a must needed change in the Ecuadorian political, judiciary, legislative and economic systems.The victory was short-lived. Ecuador's top military officials replaced the mid-level military leader of the movement with one of their own. Before dawn, coerced by the United States government, the top officials ousted the National Salvation Government and installed Mahuad's vice president, Gustavo Noboa, as president. Mahuad was ousted, but the old political regime survived. With daylight, tens of thousand indians began to leave the capital and return to the countryside. Showing many scenes that were censured by the Ecuadorian television channels, which are mostly owned by the banking oligarchy, this video tells the story of the upraising from the perspective of the Indigenous Peoples' Movement.