"Declare the termination of the state of emergency due to serious internal commotion in the provinces of Chimborazo, Tungurahua, Cotopaxi, Pichincha, Pastaza and Imbabura," Lasso said in the decree signed on Saturday.
Lasso thus repealed the state of emergency on the 13th day of protests and at the same time that the National Assembly began processing the request of some parliament members for his dismissal.
The lifting of the state of emergency, which was introduced on June 20, is one of the conditions of the indigenous groups for the holding of negotiations with Ecuador’s authorities.
Ecuador has been grappling with civil unrest for the past few weeks. On June 13, the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador, CONAIE, launched small protests against the social and economic policies of the country's leadership in 11 regions. The unrest gained momentum the next day, when the police detained CONAIE's leader, Leonidas Iza, for 24 hours on charges of interfering with the work of public services.
Iza, who is now facing criminal charges, demanded that the government ensure demonstrators' safety, lift the state of emergency, and withdraw troops in order to begin negotiations. He added that a document containing 10 demands, which the authorities had been ignoring for over a year, was still on the table.