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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| Takeovers Captivate Ecuador |
| 2008-07-20 |
| QUITO, Ecuador, July 18 -- The tip came to the old journalist at midnight about the decision at the presidential palace: The police were on their way. Lolo EcheverrÃa in turn called his colleagues at Gamavision, one of Ecuador's prominent television stations, who drove to the studio through the deserted streets of Quito under the looming mass of an Andean volcano. They were in time to see police scale the white metal fence, break locks and force their way into the offices, the beginning of a swift government takeover of more than 190 businesses this month that has captivated this small and volatile nation. Gamavision went blank briefly on the morning of the takeover, EcheverrÃa said. In one of his last acts as vice president of news, he ordered that the word "censored" appear on the screen. Within a few seconds, he said, the warning disappeared. |
| Posted by:Steve White |