Indigenous leaders warn that the current president of Conaie couldn't legally run
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Leonidas Iza continues to lead Conaie, although his term ended in 2024. The organization extended his mandate following his presidential candidacy, a decision that hasn't been free from questioning. Conaie hasn't yet set the date for its Congress, the highest body that must renew its leadership.
The current statute, registered with the Secretariat of Management and Development of Peoples and Nationalities, prohibits immediate reelection. Despite attempts to reform it, the Secretariat hasn't officially received any modifications. This leaves the legal viability of a new candidacy for Iza in doubt.
Salvador Quishpe, former leader of Conaie, noted that there is a majority demanding renewal. He criticized the lack of focus on structural issues such as bilingual intercultural education and warned that the political division during the elections affected the unity of the indigenous movement.
From Tungurahua, Elías Moreta also questioned the possibility of reelection. He recalled that Iza's explicit support for correísmo caused rejection among several indigenous sectors. "There has to be a change, a new leadership that restores credibility," he stated.
Leonidas Iza
The last legal reform to the statute was in 2019. Article 26 prohibits reelection in consecutive terms. According to Fernando Guamán, president of Comich, any reform that isn't registered has no legal validity. "It may have internal legitimacy, but not legality," he warned.
Leader Verónica Albuja confirmed that there were reforms approved by consensus, but the legalization process was truncated by previous decisions in the Secretariat. Internal tensions are escalating with calls to sanction PK assembly members for acting outside their mandate in the National Assembly.
Article 8 of the statute highlights alternation as a principle. Various leaders insist that this criterion must be respected to avoid a new legitimacy crisis. Organizational bases, such as Ecuarunari, have suggested a self-convocation if the Congress date isn't set soon.
Iza's continuity at the helm of Conaie faces not only political opposition but also formal statutory restrictions. The need for internal renewal seems inevitable if the cohesion of the indigenous movement is to be restored. The current situation in Conaie shows that keeping Iza in charge would require overcoming significant legal and political obstacles. Internal division and leadership fatigue strongly drive the demand for alternation and legitimacy.
