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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| Troops seize main airport in Ecuador |
| 2010-09-30 |
| [Iran Press TV] Ecuador has plunged into political turmoil as troops have seized the country's main airport and stormed the Congress building protesting to a new law. Ecuadorian police have seized main airport in the country's capital city, Quito, protesting to a law that reduced bonuses to the police and military. They have shut off highway access to the city as well. The protesters who fired tear gas and burned tires chanted "The troops united will never be defeated," some of them calling on other troops to join them, the AFP reported. Army chief Ernesto Gonzalez has however announced that he fully supported President Rafael Correa. Police chief Freddy Martinez also tried to calm the protestors but was met with a hostile reception. Meanwhile, ...back at the ranch... Correa has denounced the situation as an attempted coup. "It is a coup attempt led by the opposition and certain sections of the armed forces and the police," he said. "Whatever happens to me I want to express my love for my family and my homeland," the president said. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #7 In the Zinn Socialist pseudo histories they never get around to the long and historical issue of cutting the pay of military. The record shows that its not one of the best played hands by pols [or as often is the case, former pols]. Or to paraphrase Hollyweird, "Let the Wookie win" |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2010-09-30 23:53 |
| #6 And I was on the phone (business) and emailing a guy in Ecuador today while this was happening... I even when to a couple of sites and explored the country further. |
| Posted by: Sherry 2010-09-30 23:05 |
| #5 He went back inside, and the Army took over the airport. Air Force elements assisted in taking over the airport. No mention of where the Army stands. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2010-09-30 22:28 |
| #4 Apparently Correa canceled bonus payments to the National Police. |
| Posted by: Frozen Al 2010-09-30 18:31 |
| #3 Correa's gov't defaulted on a bunch of international loans a couple years back, and now the country is running low on cash. The congress, dominated by Correa's own party, won't cut spending like Correa wants. Correa's been making noises about dissolving congress, which is legal in their system. Now the cops are taking to the streets over payment of bonuses. Correa, showing the same shrewdness that got him into this, went out and confronted the cops, who gave him and the First Lady a teargas canister for his troubles. He went back inside, and the Army took over the airport. Now, it's not clear to me that the Army and Police are working together here. They might be opposed... they might be on opposite sides. I simply don't know enough about Ecuador's power structure. What is clear to me is that the threat to dissolve congress got the cops in the streets. That didn't go over so well. |
| Posted by: Pstanley 2010-09-30 17:18 |
| #2 Correa is a hard core lefty, so probably pushed a little bit too hard for a Venezuelan or Cuban state of affairs. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2010-09-30 16:18 |
| #1 Gee, now I know what we've been missing. A return to the banana republics of yesteryear!! Don't you all remember when Latin America was being touted as fully on the road to stable democracy? After years of caudillos and petty dictators things were starting to straighten out what 25 years ago? Well looks like you can't keep a good banana down. |
| Posted by: Alan Cramer 2010-09-30 15:56 |