QUITO, Dec 2 (NNN-TELESUR) — At least 80 mayors from several cities of Ecuador peacefully gathered in the capital Quito to demand President Lenin Moreno observe the agreements on Budget plans between the municipalities and the national government.
The mobilization was called by the Association of Municipalities of Ecuador (AME), which claimed the Executive branch has not respected the agreements with the town halls by cutting US$691 million from all local governments’ budgets.
AME demands a meeting with Moreno in order to present several proposals, including a schedule of money distribution to the municipalities, a suspension by public banks of the payment of pending credits, and access to social security for municipal employees who have not been able to receive their salaries.
The meme reads, “AME President Raul Delgado, during the march that takes place in Quito, explains that the crisis is not solved with more crisis. The crisis is solved by showing our face, sitting at a work table, and planning for the good of Ecuadorians.”
Mayors of Santa Rosa, Biblian, Morona, Esmeraldas, San Lorenzo, among others, gathered at the El Arbolito park to also reject the 049 and 072 resolutions proposed by the Finance Ministry.
The mobilization comes just a day after the national government announced it would not modify the Unified Minimum Wage (UMW) for 2021 set at US$400.
“The lack of resources did not start with this pandemic, this comes from 2015, is a drag of debts that the government has had with the municipalities,” AME chairman Raul Delgado said. — NNN-TELESUR