Last week before the anti-government protests, the Minister of Government, Monica Palencia, recalled that Quito is under a state of emergency. However, the Constitutional Court affirmed that the right of association must be respected.

In a statement on Sunday night together with representatives of the Security Block, Palencia requested human rights organizations to observe and prevent the infiltration of violent people in the rallies.

Commander of the National Police Victor Zarate said that access to the Historic Center will be restricted and the mobilization will be guarded by female police officers.

In Guayaquil, in the west of the country, groups called for a mobilization this Monday under the slogan “Against all violence, ignite the resistance,” with which they seek to call on the Government and society to take strong measures against gender violence. The cities of Cuenca, Machala, and Loja will hold similar rallies.

Institutions, such as the National Assembly, were invited to a commemorative day for the elimination of violence against women and to the Alto a la Violencia Forum.

Ecuador registered at least 215 femicides between January 1st and November 15th of this year, according to the Latin American Association for Alternative Development, Fundación Aldea, released this Sunday.

At least 1,921 women, girls and adolescents have been murdered since 2014, when the crime of femicide was classified, due to sexist violence in the country, said Aldea, who questioned the inaction of the State, which has not allocated the necessary resources to implement the Comprehensive Law against Gender Violence. It was also denounced that many of these women were victims of criminal contexts, used as war booties or bait in conflicts between armed gangs.

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