Ecuador Crisis

[Mark]

Ecuador teetered on the brink of chaos early today as rebellious police officers protesting against austerity measures blocked airports and roads, occupied the national assembly and besieged the president in a hospital after physically assaulting him.

The government called the revolt a coup and declared a one-week state of emergency which put the military in charge of public order and suspended civil liberties. Peru shut its border with Ecuador.

"This is a coup attempt," President Rafael Correa told state-run Ecuador TV from the hospital where outside civilian supporters confronted mutinous police amid scenes of near anarchy.

"They're trying to get into my room, maybe to attack me. I don't know," said the president. "But, forget it. I won't relent. If something happens to me, remember my infinite love for my country, and to my family I say that I will love them anywhere I end up."

From an upstairs window Correa told supporters gathered below he would not buckle to the rebels. "If they want me, here I am," he said, and tore his tie loose.

The drama was sparked by a vote in congress on Wednesday which cut the benefits of police and members of the armed forces. The response was swift and underlined Ecuador's reputation as South America's most volatile country.

On Thursday morning about 150 men in uniform, thought to be air force members, overran the landing strip at Quito's main airport, forcing flights to be cancelled.

Hundreds of soldiers and police took over barracks in Quito, Guayaquil and other cities. They also set up roadblocks out of burning tyres that cut off access to the capital. Others occupied the congress, shouting "respect our rights!" and "long civil war!" Smoke wafted over Quito and sporadic looting was reported. At least two banks and several supermarkets were reportedly ransacked.

Correa went to a regimental barracks to try to negotiate with protesters but was surrounded and jostled and forced to flee after a tear gas canister was fired at him. Some of those who shoved him were police in full uniform. TV pictures showed a man in a tan suit punching the president and trying to yank a gas mask off his face.

Correa was then led away, still wearing the mask. The 47-year-old leftist leader, who recently underwent knee surgery, leaned on a crutch and was later put on a stretcher. A government helicopter tried to evacuate him but was unable to land. Spirited to the hospital, he denounced the mutiny. "They fired gas on us – on the president of the republic. This is treason to the country, treason to their president."

He vowed there would be no compromise with the rebels. "They are a bunch of ungrateful bandits. No one has supported the police as much as this government."

The foreign minister, Ricardo Patino, led a large, chanting pro-government crowd to the Carondelet palace, the president's home. He urged people to take to the streets to peacefully "reject this coup" and "rescue our president". He added: "We are not afraid of anyone."

Later, a defiant Correa was quoted as saying from the hospital: "I leave here as president or they take me out as a corpse."

Latin American leaders from across the political spectrum united in support. Venezuela's Hugo Chávez said his Ecuadorean ally was at risk of assassination.

The Organisation of American States met in special session in Washington to discuss the crisis. The White House expressed full support for Correa and urged a peaceful end to the crisis. UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon also backed Correa. "The secretary-general is deeply concerned about developments today in Ecuador, including reported acts of insubordination by some members of the police and military," Ban's press office said in a statement."He expresses his strong support for the country's democratic institutions and elected government," the statement said.

The head of the armed forces, Ernesto Gonzalez, said troops remained loyal to Correa. "We are in a state of law. We are loyal to the maximum authority, which is the president." There was no immediate evidence of an orchestrated coup attempt.

The president's policy coordination minister, Doris Soliz, asked Ecuadoreans to be calm. "This is an act of indiscipline that is going to be controlled. It is being controlled. The military chiefs are completely supporting democracy."

Even before the protests, the government's proposed austerity measures had triggered a political crisis in which the president threatened to dissolve parliament and rule by decree until elections.

What angered police and elements of the army was a law to end the practice of giving medals and bonuses with each promotion. It would also extend from five to seven years the usual period required for promotions.

Correa is a US-trained economist who has tried to trim Ecuador's bureaucracy. His own party, the Country Alliance, opposed the austerity measures, prompting his threat to dissolve congress.

The two-year-old constitution allows the president to declare a political impasse and dissolve the assembly until a presidential and parliamentary election. The measure needs constitutional court approval.

Correa, who has a Belgian wife, was elected in 2006 promising a "citizens' revolution" to spread the benefits of oil, gas and other revenues to the poor in the Andean mountains, Amazon forests and Pacific coast slums. He defaulted on a $2.8bn (£1.8bn) debt, calling it illegitimate, and boosted spending on education and health.

He was re-elected under the new constitution last year but since then public sector workers and indigenous groups, among others, have accused him of breaking promises.


Source: guardian.co.uk

[Mark]

On September 30, 2010, the National Police and Military Forces of Ecuador blockaded highways and occupied Mariscal Sucre International Airport and National Parliament in Quito, the country's capital, protesting proposed cuts to their bonuses and benefits. After being attacked by the police, President Rafael Correa was taken to a hospital where he declared a state of emergency, accusing the opposition of attempting a coup. Unrest and looting had been reported around the country. Clashes occurred between rebellious police forces and loyal military forces, who successfully rescued Correa after he was held for 10 hours at the hospital.

Background

In the past few years Ecuador has seen the overthrow of numerous presidents because of political unrest: Jamil Mahuad in 2000 and Lucio Gutiérrez in 2005, and between 1997 and 2007 (when Rafael Correa was first elected) there were eight presidents in Ecuador.

The most direct cause of the protest that appears to have lead to the current crisis is reported to be that as part of Correa's austerity measures a new law was introduced that cuts benefits for public servants. The Public service Law had already generated controversy during discussion in parliament; it even divided Correa's supporters and prompted him to consider dissolving parliament the day before and call for new elections.

Parallels have been drawn to the coup d'état in Honduras in which another left-leaning Latin American president, Manuel Zelaya, was overthrown by the military. Correa also describes himself as "left-wing."

Mutiny

On the morning of September 30, members of the Ecuadorian Armed Forces and police occupied several barracks and set up road blocks across the country to demand the austerity measures be abandoned by the government. The disgruntled personnel occupied Quito's main airport, Mariscal Sucre International Airport, forcing it to close for hours, and the National Parliament. They burned tires in the street in protest against proposed cuts to their bonuses and benefits, even taking hostage President Rafael Correa at a hospital after he had left a barracks and was attacked by the police with tear gas. Forces outside the hospital have kept him from leaving; a helicopter trying to evacuate him could not land.

A state of emergency was then declared by Correa, after he accused the opposition and security forces of an attempted coup and orchestrating the protests. He stated that he was declaring a five-day state of emergency in an attempt to restore order. Police also blocked roads in Guayaquil, the largest city of Ecuador, and reported unrest in 2 other cities.

He later spoke to national radio from hospital. He said he would not negotiate until the protests were called off and added that he would either leave as president or be taken out as a corpse.. He called on the organisers of the protest to be punished. Reports also indicated the the armed forces were loyal to the president. Correa said that a rescue operation had been ready for a few hours, but was postponed so as to avoid more bloodshed.

Correa's supporters, urged by the country's foreign minister to rescue "their president," were stopped from meeting the president, and clashed with the police around Quito. They reportedly chanted "This is not Honduras," in referance to the 2009 coup.

Telesur reported that the police attacked Ecuador's state television channel.

Alledged political support

Reports indicated Lucio Gutiérrez, a former president ousted by a popular uprising and leader of the opposition Sociedad Patriótica Party, had a hand in the attempted coup. He had be vocal in his opposition during the lead up to the coup. Gutiérrez suggested new elections "could be the constitutional solution to avoid the possibility of bloodshed in the country." His lawyer was reported to have been spotted amongst a crowd of officers that cut off the transmission of state television. After being rescued, President Rafael Correa accused Gutiérrez for being behind the coup attempt.

Rescue

Military forces loyal to the president rescued him after clashes with rebellious police forces outside the hospital. He said police had tried to break into his room at the hospital. After the rescue, he indicated the hospital as apparently destroyed. The rescue was shown live on Ecuadorean television. As of 21:30, Rafael Correa was rescued from the hospital and taken to the Presidential Palace and spoke to the public thanking those who supported him and came to Quito to support the "citizen's revolution and democracy in our country." He also thanked the members of the government who risked their lives in support of him. He also thanked UNASUR and the other Latin American countries that supported him.

He critized those who carried out the coup saying: "How could they call themselves police after like this against the people?", and said there would not be any immunity for the perpetrators nor would there be any "negotiation under duress". He called the attackers "cowards" and claimed to have spoken to officers who were holding him hostage at the hospital and asked them two questions: Have you ever been paid this well? and have you read the law?. He claimed they said they had never been better treated than through his administration and that they had not read the controversial law. When the soldiers asked him to revoke the law, he answered that he did not have the power to do so and that he would leave alive or as a corpse, and in the end he left with his "head held high". He asserted that the "law would not be repealed" because he said "everything can be done through negotiation but not by force." He concluded his speech saying "history would judge them" and with "greater courage we will ensure that our citizen's revolution would not be stopped by anything. Until victory, always!"

His criticism included statements saying his administration had supported the police and were stabbed in the back by those who "bring shame to the national police," even though it was just a few members of the police who were fought only for financial reasons and for medals and honours, out of ignorance of the real content of the law. He said that the mutiny was incited for political motives, and he blamed former President Lucio Gutiérrez and opposition politicians for instigating the coup.

Correa said 5 people were wounded, but no one died; although reports later said 1 person had died.

Reactions

Domestic reactions:
The President of Ecuadorean National Parliament condemned the uprising and asserted the assembly would not be intimidated. He also said the mutiny was the result of a conspiracy and called on the people of Ecuador to defend democratic institutions.

Supranational reactions:
Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon expressed concern.

The Organization of American States Permanent Council unanimously approved by acclamation a resolution supporting Correa's government and asked all the stakeholders to avoid "exacerbating" the political instability. The Ecuadorian ambassador, María Isabel Salvador, said that the events "cannot, in any way, be considered as simple union acts or public protests." She also said Correa was in touch with his ministers.

The Secretary General of UNASUR, Néstor Kirchner, said "South America cannot tolerate that corporative interests threat and put pressure on democratically elected governments for fear of losing undue privileges" The presidents of UNASUR member states, Evo Morales, Sebastián Piñera, José Mujica, Juan Manuel Santos, Hugo Chávez, Alan García, and host Cristina Kirchner, will meet tonight at Buenos Aires, Argentina, in an emergency summit. Nestor Kirchner was scheduled to fly to Quito the next day, though after Correa's release it was speculated that at least some of the presidents would go to meet Correa.

The European Union's Foreign Policy chief also called for the respect of law and order.

International reactions:
Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez condemned the coup attempt, and stated that he and other South American leaders were "mobilizing to reject the coup". Chilean president Sebastián Piñera also declared "absolute and total support for President Correa", and called for all democratic countries in South America to support Ecuadorian democracy. Guatemalan President Álvaro Colom called on the international community to condemn "attempts similar to what happened in Honduras," and said the Central American Integration System was considering the issuance of a communiqué.

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia,Chile, Mexico, Uruguay, Paraguay and Spain also expressed full support for Correa's government.

Colombia said it had shut its border with Ecuador in solidarity with Correa. Peru shut its border with Ecuador due to unrest, with President Alan García saying it would not reopen "until Democratic authority is restored."

The United States declared support for Correa through its ambassador to the Organization of American States. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed "full support for President Rafael Correa, and the institutions of democratic government in that country."

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It uses material from the Wikipedia article"2010 Ecuador Crisis"