From En Marcha
Central Organ of the Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Ecuador
October 13-19, 2000

Plot Against the MPD [Popular Democratic Movement]

We denounce an attack that is being prepared against the MPD. We print below a declaration of the National Leadership of that Party.

The National Leadership of the Popular Democratic Movement announces to the whole country the fact that it has been informed that persons linked to the highest levels of the Ecuadorian State and to U.S. spy agencies are preparing an attack against the Popular Democratic Movement for being a threat to the carrying out of the Plan Colombia and to the presence of the [U.S. military] base at Manta. This attack, in addition to that committed against our comrades Jaime Hurtado, Pablo Tapia and Wellington Borja [comrades assassinated in February of 1999], would be carried out against the National Leaders Ciro Guzmán, National Leader of the MPD, and Luis Villacís, National Chair of the Popular Front. We "are following their every move" with the intention of "silencing them," in the words of the organizers of the plot. Also, the plot would be aimed at declaring the MPD an illegal organization, fabricating against it a supposed terrorist act by presenting a group of "arrested" Colombians who would declare that they were entering the country, by agreement with the MPD, to assassinate the President of the Republic, Dr. Gustavo Noboa.

The National Leadership of the MPD WARNS THE WHOLE COUNTRY, THE POPULAR ORGANIZATIONS, THE HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY about the attempt to carry out this reactionary plot and declares that the Ecuadorian State and the Embassy of the United States of America are responsible for whatever may happen to our leaders, members and our Party.

The Popular Democratic Movement reaffirms its commitment to continue, uncompromisingly, fighting for the interests of the country and the peoples of Ecuador, that threats will not turn us away from following the heroic example of struggle of our immortal comrade Jaime Hurtado González.

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