uring May 2003, about 12 000 street vendors were moved from their places of work. According to officials, as a result of the re-organisation, city streets and pavements are less congested and street and market traders can now trade from popular commercial centres, in stalls that measure 1.50 x 1.50 metres.

In reality, only those traders who paid for the stalls, obtained space to trade in the city’s commercial centres. Many could not get stalls and can no longer earn a living because no other informal trade is allowed. Metropolitan police have confiscated merchandise and maltreated street traders who try and trade, using tear gas and force. As a consequence, poverty is on the increase and many people are being forced into crime, and into the ranks of the unemployed.

The Metropolitan Municipality is trying to meet the city’s needs by developing infrastructure and creating order on the city streets and pavements. However, we question whether any city development should necessitate that thousands of people lose their only source of livelihood.

We have demanded that the Municipality of Quito develop a sustainable plan of relocation that avoids any street vendor losing his/her source of work; on the contrary, it should look for ways to develop and revive the economy of the community.

Quito’s street vendors’ organisations - among them the Asociación de Mujeres Tahuantinsuyu (Tahuantinsuyu Women's Association), Corporación Amauta (Amauta Corporation), churches, and other groups are supporting the Jatun Ayllu to demand fundamental rights.

We have negotiated with the Quito Metropolitan Municipality and it has agreed to provide suitable space for commercial centres with the capacity to accommodate at least 5 600 street vendors, to be built. We have managed to negotiate and sign a loan agreement but this does not cover all of the costs, and different ways to raise the finance needed are being discussed. The construction of the new centres will take 2 years, and will start in 2004.