On June 13 a demonstration supporting the government of Ecuador and its new inheritance tax was held in Sydney.
A group of Ecuadorians, members of the Chilean community and other Latin American sympathisers, gathered at the Addison Road Community Centre in Marrickville, Sydney, to show their support for the Ecuadorian president and the recently proposed inheritance taxation project. Wealth redistribution is one of the most important elements in the framework of La Revolucion Ciudadana (Citizen’s Revolution).
On June 14 other members of the Ecuadorian community, mainly Australian residents, took a more neutral approach to the events currently taking place in Ecuador. They urged protestors - government sympathisers and opposing groups - to protest without any violence. They also urged Ecuadorian citizens to properly inform themselves in order to debate the issue in a peaceful and respectful manner.
On May 30 Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa announced a change to the existing inheritance taxation scheme. Correa said the aim of the new taxation scheme is to redistribute wealth. It is a progressive tax aimed at those who possess vast amounts of wealth, with a range from 2.5% to 47.5%, depending on the size of the inheritance.
Since June 8 the right-wing opposition in Ecuador has held demonstrations and protests against the proposed tax, some of which have turned violent. With the threat of a coup to overthrow the elected government and the visit of Pope Francis to Ecuador next month, Correa has temporarily suspended the new scheme. At the same time he urged opposition groups and sympathisers to debate the tax without violence and with truly valid arguments.
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