*Ecuador’s Interior Minister John Reimberg has announced that a deal has been reached with indigenous demonstrators to suspend protests and roadblocks in Imbabura province, the epicentre of weeks of unrest sparked by the cancellation of diesel subsidies. Reimberg met yesterday with local leaders from the indigenous organisations Unión de Organizaciones Campesinas Indígenas de Cotacachi (Unorcac) and Federación de los Pueblos Kichwa de la Sierra Norte del Ecuador (Fici). In doing so he sidestepped the national umbrella indigenous organisation Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas del Ecuador (Conaie), which has led the protests and has shown little willingness to engage in dialogue. Reimberg said that talks will begin on 20 October, although President Daniel Noboa’s government has given no sign that it is considering reinstating the diesel subsidy. Indigenous representatives in Imbabura said that the talks would also include other demands such as the release of arrested protesters, investigations into the deaths of two demonstrators in Imbabura, and the establishment of regional dialogue tables to discuss water shortages, the need for improvements in healthcare and education, and poor road surfaces.
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