SHORT PROFILE OF Guillermo Lasso, current President of Ecuador. Lasso's government is facing an opposition movement of protest led by indigenous communities, who have been blocking the country's roads since June 13 to demand fuel price cuts. Lasso denounced the violence of protests and declared a state of emergency on the sixth day of protests to three provinces of the country, then extending it to six provinces on the eight day. The indigenous organisation Conaie which is leading the protests, asks the president to meet 10 requests, among them the reduction of prices to $1.50 for diesel and $2.10 for petrol, a demand the government has so far rejected. In his latest message to the protesters, Lasso renewed his call for dialogue, pointing out that he had responded to the demands but only received in response further threats of an escalation in the capital city. SHORT PROFILE OF GUILLERMO LASSO