The Conflict

Indigenous people in Ecuador overthrew the president in January 2000, leading to the establishment of a junta, a small military government.

Political

• The indigenous people want legal, constitutional acknowledgement of the multicultural and multiethnic nature of their society.
• Indigenous people want to fully participant in the political system of the country.

Economic

• An economic shift from rural to urban and from agriculture to manufacturing has impoverished many Indians and dislocated them from their culture.
• Indigenous people have sued Texaco over the use and ownership of land and oil.

For the first time in the history of Latin America an alliance between elements of the military and an indigenous people's organization conspired to overthrow an elected president. On January 21, 2000, hundreds of thousands of Ecuadorians, mainly from the Confederation...