STORY: Labour unions and social organisations marched in Quito on Thursday (August 7), opposing three economic emergency laws promoted by Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa and recently approved by the National Assembly.

The demonstration, organised by Ecuador's leading unions, culminated at the Constitutional Court, demanding the laws be declared unconstitutional.

Critics claim the Public Integrity, National Solidarity, and Intelligence laws infringe on labour, social, and human rights, arguing that the laws grant excessive power to the executive, enable persecution, and restrict fundamental rights such as protests and union organisations.

While the Constitutional Court has provisionally suspended several articles from the laws, after admitting some legal challenges, demonstrators insisted that the entire legislation should be overturned.

Discontent intensified since July, when Noboa reduced the number of ministries from 20 to 14 and dismissed 5,000 employees under an efficiency plan.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: PROTESTERS MARCHING WITH SIGNS / SOUNDBITES FROM UNION LEADERS

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE STORY

SHOWS: QUITO, ECUADOR (AUGUST 7, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. PROTESTERS MARCHING WITH SIGNS

2. PROTESTERS MARCHING WITH SIGN READING (Spanish) "Today is us, tomorrow it could be you. Join us."

3. PARTICIPANT DRUMMING

4. RAT EFFIGY WITH BILLS AND SIGN READING (Spanish) "Government"

5. PEOPLE CARRYING CARDBOARD CUTOUT OF ECUADOR PRESIDENT DANIEL NOBOA WITH HORNS

6. PEOPLE MARCHING

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PRESIDENT OF THE GENERAL UNION OF WORKERS, JOSE VILLAVICENCIO, SAYING:

"We want to tell the government with authoritarian tendencies that aims to establish its failed neoliberal policies, that here - there is a constitution and no government is above the constitution, international rights and human rights. Democracy must be respected and that's why we have the court, to enforce the constitution, and the people to defend the right to work and to life."

8. PROTESTERS MARCHING

9. PROTESTERS LIGHTING UP FIRECRACKER

10. PROTESTERS MARCHING

11. PROTEST BANNER READING (Spanish) "Wake up people. We are seed, we are root, we defend our country"

12. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PRESIDENT OF THE ECUADOREAN CONFEDERATION OF FREE UNION ORGANIZATIONS, MARCELA ARELLANO, SAYING:

"We are mobilising in defence of the Constitution, in defence of democracy, in defence of the people's interests and fundamental human rights."

10. PROTESTERS MARCHING

11. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) NATIONAL UNION OF EDUCATORS, ANDRES QUISHPE, SAYING:

"We support the Constitution and we support the court that has told this government with dictatorial desires that there is a Constitution that must be respected."

12. PROTESTERS CHANTING SLOGANS

13. PROTESTERS JUMPING

14. PROTESTERS MARCHING