Community
Organizing in Itchimbía: In
1995, 300 poor indigenous families invaded Itchimbía, a downtown Quito
park that had become a garbage dump. The settlers pledged to clean up the
park and become its custodians, while building an ecologically sensitive community.
Over the next eight years, the Itchimbía settlers built a democratic
neighborhood organization that acquired urban services and pursued a mission
of education and outreach to other invasion communities. In 2004, they finished
construction of self-help condominiums in the park and relocated to legally
owned homes. The mayor bulldozed their original homes the same day.
