Quito, February 12 (RHC-teleSUR) -- Grassroots leaders from various Indigenous communities throughout Ecuador met in the capital Quito Wednesday to reject the confrontational style and attitudes of the current leadership of Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE).

The leaders expressed a willingness to work with the government, instead of in opposition to it, as the current leadership of CONAIE has chosen to do.

“We, the grassroots, are here directly participating because at time the leadership have become lost, they have gotten stuck in the discourse, in activism (against the government). We who have been on the inside, who have struggled, who have lived, we do want a dialogue with the national government in order to develop the plurinational state,” said Antonio Vargas, former President of the CONAIE.

He added: “We are not dividing (the Indigenous movement), we are strengthening our bases and we're inviting (CONAIE) to join this dialogue process because leaders are momentary, (but) the people are eternal.”