Your article about the decree of 2024 is also an example of a gradual change that was able to work - but that was just for the last 10% bump.

But that's exactly the point. The paro was always invoked each time after significant price hikes, not gradual ones. In 2018, Moreno did a 40% hike for only gasoline - nothing happened. 2019, he tried to raise gasoline another 30%, and Diesel 130% - Paro.

Between 2020 and 2022, there were many hikes in price/liter, as you can see here:

https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/Ecuador/gasoline_prices/

Again, the strikes come after a rather quick surge in price, though over a period of time.

This time, it was the same - raising the diesel price (which is even more important than gasoline due to goods transport) by over 90% within a week? With all the history, that was premeditated to cause the trouble.

And no, the leadership of the protesters was as bad as it could be, in my view. Gladly jumping heads first into every trap set for them, without consideration. But that's the worrisome part, isn't it? The horrible state of "leadership", not only in Ecuador, but in the world.