Ecuador President for Stopping Violence

Quito, Oct 1 - Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa called the indigenous communities to stop violence and invited the Indigenous Confederation of Nationalities (CONAIE) for talks to avoid killings.

Late at night on Wednesday, Correa told the population about clashes in Morona Santiago province where one indigenous man from Shuar Sacred Heart Community was killed and 40 policemen were wounded.

Unfortunately, said Correa, very violent groups, armed with shotguns and carbines, shot the police, killing one Ecuadorian citizen from the indigenous Shuar community.

We are here, Vice President Lenin Moreno and me, said Correa, to preserve life, health, water, basic and higher education for a better life for people.

We can not make mistakes, and this situation have destroyed ourselves as humanist and Christians.

Correa said those guilty will be held responsible and warned that the police was ordered not to use weapons and if there were not protected by riot forces we would have been morning 41 deaths.

He said that a cabinet meeting was scheduled for Friday to hold talks with the indigenous communities without exception, to avoid that this kind of violence happen again.