“Ecuador becomes the Wuhan of Latin America.” This was one of the headlines after the widespread circulation of images of corpses lying in the streets of the coastal city of Guayaquil. Stories of people not finding out where their deceased family members were buried and also received international attention. Beyond these dramatic scenes, the most economically marginalized groups have been hardest hit by the crisis. It made the country’s historical economic and social inequalities all too evident.
In spite of the progressive tightening governmental measures to curb the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the number of confirmed cases and deaths continues to increase. Various factors are at the root of a crisis in the economy and the health system, a crisis that has only been intensified by the pandemic. But there are also solidarity initiatives and actions of indigenous communities and the civil society trying to alleviate the suffering.
From the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation Andean Regional Office, we share this video explaining important aspects of Ecuador’s current situation.
