Ecuador Declares State Of Emergency As State Of ‘Internal Armed Conflict’ Declared

 

BBC: Ecuador declares war on armed gangs after TV station attacked on air 

Ecuador's president has ordered that criminal gangs be "neutralised" after days of violence culminated in an attack on a television studio. 

Masked gunmen broke into public television channel TC's live studio during a broadcast, forcing staff to the floor. 

Police made 13 arrests following the attack, which injured two employees. 

At least 10 people have been killed since a 60-day state of emergency began in Ecuador on Monday. 

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: One of my readers in Ecuador has been warning me about the deteriorating situation in the country for the past year. It looks like this attack on a TV station and the out of controlled prison system was the final straw for the government to enact a state of emergency. 

 Ecuador Declares State Of Emergency As State Of ‘Internal Armed Conflict’ Declared  

Ecuador’s escalating gang violence is broadcast live to the nation as masked gunmen storm TV studio -- AP  

Gunmen in Ecuador storm TV studio in wave of violence -- Reuters  

Ecuador president orders military to 'neutralize' gangs after gunmen storm TV studio -- France 24  

Armed gang storms Ecuador TV station as state of ‘internal armed conflict’ declared -- The Guardian  

Ecuador: State of emergency follows drug boss disappearance -- DW  

Chaos in Ecuador as cops are abducted during prison riots and cities rocked by explosions after feared Los Choneros gang boss 'Fito' escaped from jail sparking state of emergency -- Daily Mail 

‘I was crying with panic’: the workers targeted in Ecuador TV station attack -- The Guardian  

How Ecuador descended into gang violence -- BBC  

Brutal prison violence, a drug lord's escape and a nationwide curfew - what's happening in Ecuador? -- SKY News  

What’s going on in Ecuador? TV station attack prompts president to declare war on armed gangs -- CNBC

Ecuadorians Votes In Presidential Election Weeks After Presidential Candidate Assassinated

 

RTE: Ecuador votes in presidential election dominated by security woes 

Ecuadorans head to the polls today in a presidential election tarnished by the murder of a top candidate, which cast a spotlight on the violence ravaging a once-peaceful nation caught up in the global drug trade. 

The eight presidential candidates have prioritised promises to crack down on organised crime, all while campaigning in bulletproof vests. Voting started at 1pm Irish time and will continue until 11pm. 

The small South American country has in recent years become a playground for foreign drug mafia seeking to export cocaine, stirring up a brutal war between local gangs.  

Read more .... 

Ecuadorians Votes In Presidential Election Weeks After Presidential Candidate Assassinated  

Ecuadorians head to the polls just weeks after presidential candidate assassinated -- AP

Ecuadoreans vote for new president in election marred by candidate's murder -- Reuters  

Ecuadorians choosing a new president amid increasing violence that may intimidate voters -- France 24  

Assassinations cast a grim shadow as Ecuador selects a new president -- CNN  

Ecuadoreans head to the polls in election marred by candidate’s killing -- Al Jazeera  

New shooting mars election campaign in Ecuador -- BBC 

Factbox: Top five candidates vying for presidency of Ecuador -- Reuters

Ecuador Arrests Six Colombians As Suspects In Slaying Of Anti-Corruption Presidential Candidate Francisco Villavicencio

 

Daily Mail: Six suspects linked to assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Francisco Villavicencio identified as Colombian nationals, including one facing murder and drug trafficking charges 

* Colombian nationals Andrés Mosquera; José López; Adey García; Jules Castaño; and Jhon Rodríguez are in custody for the murder of Francisco Villavicencio 

* The name of a sixth suspect, also Colombian, has not been released; a seventh suspect, also Colombian, was killed in a shootout with police Wednesday 

* Villavicencio, an Ecuadorian presidential candidate, was shot moments after he walked out of a campaign event in Quito on Wednesday 

Six suspects linked to the assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio have been identified as Colombian nationals, the government revealed Thursday. 

The government added that the six men, who are in custody, are members of criminal organizations, but did not specify which ones they belong to. 

The apprehensions took place following the murder of Villavicencio as he walked out of a campaign event in the northern province of Quito on Wednesday night, less than two weeks before the elections.  

Read more .... 

Ecuador Arrests Six Colombians As Suspects In Slaying Of Anti-Corruption Presidential Candidate Francisco Villavicencio  

Ecuador arrests six Colombians as suspects in slaying of anti-corruption presidential candidate -- AP  

Fernando Villavicencio assassination: suspects are Colombian, police say -- Reuters  

Ecuador politician murder suspects are Colombian, police say -- BBC  

Presidential candidate assassinated in Ecuador, 1 suspect dead and 6 arrested -- ABC News  

Ecuador presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio received 3 death threats before killing, advisor says -- FOX News  

Ecuador arrests 6 Colombians over candidate's assassination -- DW  

What does the assassination of a presidential candidate mean for Ecuador? -- Al Jazeera

Ecuadorian Presidential Candidate Fernando Villavicencio Assassinated During A Campaign Event

#BREAKING ‼️⚡️ Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio ASSASSINATED during a campaign event pic.twitter.com/z1jp9XDEPi

— What the media hides. (@narrative_hole) August 10, 2023

CNBC/Reuters: Ecuador candidate Villavicencio killed, suspect dead, authorities say 

Ecuador presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was killed on Wednesday evening during a campaign event in northern Quito and a suspect in the crime later died of injuries sustained in a shoot-out, authorities said. 

Local media reported Villavicencio had been shot, but Ecuador’s police and Interior Ministry did not respond to repeated requests for comment about the details of the killing.

“For his memory and his fight, I assure you that this crime will not remain unpunished,” President Guillermo Lasso said on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Organized crime have gone very far, but all the weight of the law will fall on them.”  

Read more .... 

Ecuadorian Presidential Candidate Fernando Villavicencio Assassinated During A Campaign Event  

Ecuador's Lasso declares state of emergency after killing of presidential candidate -- France 24  

Anti-corruption Ecuadorian presidential candidate assassinated at campaign event -- AP  

Candidate in Ecuador's presidential election Fernando Villavicencio shot dead -- BBC  

Ecuador presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio assassinated -- The Guardian  

Ecuador: Presidential candidate shot dead at campaign event -- DW  

Ecuador presidential candidate assassinated: Fernando Villavicencio is shot dead while leaving a political rally -- Daily Mail  

Ecuadorian presidential candidate assassinated -- UPI  

Ecuadorian presidential candidate Villavicencio shot dead in attack -- Al Jazeera

Ecuador’s President Dissolves Congress In A Bid To Avoid Impeachment

 

CNN: Ecuador’s president, facing looming impeachment vote, dissolves country’s national assembly  

Ecuador’s embattled President Guillermo Lasso, who was facing a looming impeachment vote, has triggered a constitutional clause to dissolve government, a politically fraught move that could spark protests with the country already tackling a fragile security situation. 

The Ecuadorian leader invoked a procedure known as “mutual death,” whereby the opposition-led National Assembly is dissolved and snap elections will be called, according to a decree published on the website of the presidency.  

Read more .... 

Ecuador’s President Dissolves Congress In A Bid To Avoid Impeachment 

Ecuador’s president dissolves congress amid impeachment trial -- France 24  

Ecuador’s president dissolves National Assembly -- DW  

Ecuadorian president invokes 'nuclear option,' disbands legislature after attempted ouster -- FOX News/AP

 Ecuador’s embattled president dissolves congress in bid to avoid impeachment -- The Guardian  

Ecuador President Lasso dissolves Congress amid impeachment proceedings -- Axios  

Explainer: Ecuador's Lasso dissolved the legislature. What comes next? -- Reuters

Talks Between The Ecuador Government And Indigenous Groups To End Protests Have Collapsed

 

Axios: Ecuador government and Indigenous group end talks after disruptive protests 

Ecuador's government has stopped negotiations with an Indigenous coalition that has been carrying out nationwide protests that have paralyzed parts of the country, shutting down roads and causing delays in the country's oil production. 

Driving the news: President Guillermo Lasso said Tuesday that discussions won't continue because the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) is fostering groups that carry out violence like the attack that left one military officer dead and over 10 wounded early today in an Amazon region.  

Read more .... 

Update #1: Ecuador president stops talks with 'opportunist' indigenous leader (Reuters)  

Update #2: Ecuador's president announces an end to negotiations with indigenous leader (France 24) 

WNU Editor: My South American friends say the Ecuador government is at risk of falling .... US ally Ecuador faces worsening crisis: government could collapse (FOX News).

Ecuador May Stop Oil Exports As Protests Continue

Indigenous people take part in an anti-government protest amid a stalemate between the government of President Guillermo Lasso and demanding an end to emergency measures, in Quito, Ecuador June 27, 2022. REUTERS/Adriano Machado 

The Guardian: Ecuador: Indigenous protesters agree to meet president to discuss demands 

President Guillermo Lasso announces cut to gas prices in effort to quell protests demanding lower fuel and food prices 

Ecuadorian Indigenous organizations have said they will meet with the government to discuss demands for lower fuel and food prices which have sparked two weeks of protests, hitting the country’s weakened economy and threatening its oil production. 

President Guillermo Lasso late on Sunday announced a 10-cent per gallon cut to gasoline and diesel prices, the latest concession to try to quell the sometimes-violent demonstrations, which began on 13 June. 

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: I am skeptical that these talks between the President and the country's indigenous leaders are going to succeed. The cost of living has become impossible to live under, and there are no solutions. 

Among the politicians, Ecuador's parliament is still pushing to impeach the President .... Ecuador Congress to Extend Debate to Oust Lasso Amid Crisis (Bloomberg). 

More News On The Unrest In Ecuador 

 Ecuador president cuts gasoline price amid Indigenous strike -- AP  

Ecuador could stop pumping oil within 48 hours due to protests -- Reuters 

Ecuador to Stop Pumping Oil in 48 Hours, Energy Ministry Warns -- Bloomberg  

Ecuador president announces fuel price cut amid days of protests -- Al Jazeera  

Ecuador at standstill after two weeks of protests over cost of living crisis -- The Guardian

Protests Continue In Ecuador

 

The Guardian: Ecuador at standstill after two weeks of protests over cost of living crisis  

During demonstrations, started by an Indigenous federation, roads were blocked and vehicles torched, and police fired teargas 

Ecuador has been brought to a near standstill after two weeks of tumultuous protests over a spike in fuel and food prices as global inflation inflames discontent over widening inequality across Latin America. 

At least five people have died after demonstrators blocked roads, torched vehicles and hurled stones, while police responded with teargas during several days of clashes. 

Ecuador’s health ministry has said two people died in ambulances delayed by road blockades. Twelve police officers are reported injured. 

Ecuador’s powerful Indigenous federation Conaie began the protests a fortnight ago setting out 10 demands amid the spiralling cost of living. Among them are a freeze on fuel prices, a moratorium on bank debts, subsidies for fertiliser and no mining in Indigenous territories.  

Read more ....   

WNU Editor: It looks like Euador is going to get some relief .... IMF Board Concludes Reviews for Ecuador, Unlocking $1 Billion (Reuters).

More News On The Growing Unrest In Ecuador 

Violent protests over food and fuel prices bring Ecuador to a standstill -- Financial Times  

Ecuador economic protests: 'Lasso's government will have to make some pretty serious concessions' -- France 24 

Fresh violence in Ecuador's capital as Indigenous protests continue -- AFP  

Ecuador President Faces Ouster Vote As Fuel Price Protests Enter 13th Day -- IBTimes 

Ecuador president: Indigenous leader is trying to stage coup -- AP 

Ecuador Opposition Lawmakers Push to Remove President After Protests -- Reuters 

Ecuador opposition calls for early elections -- Reuters  

Indigenous protesters are paralyzing Ecuador. Here’s why. -- Washington Post

Protests Over Rising Prices Rock Ecuador

 

CNA/AFP: Ecuadorans teargassed at demos that military deems 'grave threat'  

QUITO: Police used tear gas on Tuesday (Jun 21) to disperse hundreds of Ecuadorans taking part in a ninth day of Indigenous-led fuel price protests the military described as a "grave threat". 

Some 500 protesters among thousands who arrived in Quito from around the country in recent days were teargassed as they blockaded a street in the capital with burning tree branches. 

They quickly regrouped to march with watery eyes on the CCE culture centre - traditionally used by Indigenous people to launch protests but requisitioned by police over the weekend to use as a base.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Ecuador's military is raising the alarm .... Ecuador Military Calls Indigenous Protests 'Grave Threat' To Democracy (Barron's). 

More News On the Unrest In Ecuador  

Ecuador protests take increasingly violent turn in capital -- AP  

Indigenous protester dies in Ecuador as violence increases -- Al Jazeera  

Violence escalates in protests in Ecuador capital Quito -- DW  

Disturbances hit downtown Quito on 9th day of Ecuador protests -- EFE  

Ecuador indigenous groups condition talks on pullback of security forces -- Reuters  

Ecuador President Pressed to Resign as Protests Curb Oil Output -- Bloomberg  

Rising prices cause 'inflation rebellion' in Ecuador -- DW  

Ecuador Halts All OIl Operations Amid Escalating Protests -- OilPrice.com

Ecuador's President Declares 60-Day State Of Emergency To Battle Crime

 

DW: Ecuador declares state of emergency over crime wave 

The South American country is grappling with a surge in violent crime and deadly prison riots. The government has pointed to drug trafficking and consumption as the underlying problem. 

Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso announced a 60-day state of emergency on Monday amidst a rise in violent drug crime. 

 "Starting immediately, our Armed Forces and police will be felt with force in the streets because we are decreeing a state of emergency throughout the national territory," the president said on state broadcaster EcuadorTV.  

Read more .... 

More News On Ecuador's President Declaring A 60-Day State Of Emergency To Battle Crime 

Ecuador’s president declares state of emergency over drug trafficking -- The Guardian/AP  

Ecuador's president declares 60-day state of emergency over rising crime -- Reuters  

Ecuador’s President Declares State of Emergency to Battle Crime -- New York Times 

Ecuador president declares state of emergency over drug violence -- Al Jazeera

Ecuador Declares Prison Emergency After 116 Killed In Fighting Between rival Drug Gangs

 

Daily Mail: Death toll from Ecuador's worst ever prison massacre jumps to 116 as police reveal drug gangs fought using guns and GRENADES with at least six people beheaded 

* At least 116 people have died and 80 have been injured in Ecuador's worst-ever prison riot, president says 

* Fighting broke out between rival drugs gangs on Tuesday morning and was still ongoing Wednesday night 

* Gangsters fought with grenades, guns and knives and death toll may rise further, president announced 

* He blamed Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel - two of the country's most-notorious - for infiltrating local drugs gangs and sparking the violence 

At least 116 people have died in Ecuador's worst-ever prison riot as rival drug gangs fought for two days using guns, grenades and knives, the country's president has revealed. 

Six of those killed at Litoral prison, on the outskirts of the port city of Guayaquil, were beheaded while another 80 were injured in clashes which began Tuesday morning and continued overnight Wednesday. 

Police are still battling to regain full control over the penitentiary, President Guillermo Lasso said at a press conference at 7pm Wednesday, with some 400 officers in full riot gear deployed into the jail.  

Read more .... 

More News On Ecuador Declaring A Prison Emergency  

Ecuador declares prison emergency after scores killed in gang battle, some beheaded -- AP  

Death toll in Ecuador prison riot rises to 116, six decapitated -- Reuters 

Ecuador’s president declares state of emergency after prison battle kills more than 100 -- France 24 

‘Strategy of terror’: 116 dead as Ecuador prisons become battlegrounds for gangs -- The Guardian  

Over 100 killed in bloody Ecuador prison massacre -- CNN

Conservative Candidate Wins In Ecuador Presidential Election

 

 France 24: Conservative former banker Lasso wins Ecuador’s presidential election 

Former banker Guillermo Lasso won Ecuador's presidential election on Sunday after his socialist opponent Andres Arauz conceded. 

Economist Arauz, who is best known as the protege of former president Rafael Correa, was magnanimous despite earlier claiming victory following a tight exit poll. "I congratulate him on his electoral triumph today and I will show him our democratic convictions," said Arauz. 

Lasso had 52.51 percent of the vote compared to Arauz's 47.49 percent with 93.14 percent of votes counted, the National Electoral Council said. 

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: The vote on the left was split thereby helping Guillermo Lasso to win Ecuador's presidential election. 

More News On Ecuador's Presidential Election  

Ecuador shuns socialism with Lasso's surprise election -- Reuters

Ecuador election: former banker Lasso is surprise winner -- The Guardian  

Ecuador shuns socialism with Lasso's surprise election -- Reuters  

Banker candidate scores surprise win in Ecuador presidential election amid massive ballot-spoiling campaign -- RT

The Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic Is Crippling Ecuador

The Guardian: Ecuador's death rate soars as fears grow over scale of coronavirus crisis

Mortalities in one province leap from 3,000 to 11,000 in six weeks, with health and mortuary services overwhelmed

New data suggests that Ecuador’s coronavirus toll may be much higher than previously indicated, after figures revealed a massive jump in deaths in the province at the centre of the country’s devastating outbreak.

Since the beginning of March six weeks ago, 10,939 people have died in Guayas province, which includes Ecuador’s largest city, Guayaquil, according to figures released late on Thursday.

The region would usually see about 3,000 deaths in a six-week period, with the new figures suggesting that the local death rate has almost quadrupled.

In Ecuador as a whole, coronavirus has been confirmed as the cause of only 421 deaths, and is suspected in a further 675, but interior minister María Paula Romo said the true number was probably much higher.

“The number of deaths is totally out of the ordinary,” she told the Guardian.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: These statistics are disturbing .... on March 01, 10,939 people have died in Guayas province, which is well above the six-week average of 3,000 deaths, representing a near quadrupling. Most of the deaths are situated in the province's largest city, Guayaquil. The only explanation for this massive jump in recorded deaths must be due to the spread of the covid-19 coronavirus. But John Hopkins is only reporting 9,500 confirmed cases and 474 deaths in the country (see here).

More News On the The Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic In Ecuador

Deaths spike in Ecuadorean province of Guayas slammed by coronavirus pandemic where 6,703 people died in the first 15 days of April -- Daily Mail
Coronavirus: Ecuador sees massive surge in deaths in April -- BBC
Official In Ecuador Says Thousands More People May Have Died Than Government Has Reported -- NPR
"Cemeteries Simply Cannot Cope" As Ecuador's COVID Death Rate Suddenly Quadruples -- Zero Hedge
Searching for the dead brings agony in Ecuador's Guayaquil -- Al Jazeera

Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic Has Overwhelmed Ecuador

Reuters: Ecuador stores coronavirus victims in giant fridges as morgues fill up

GUAYAQUIL (Reuters) - Ecuador’s government has begun storing the bodies of victims of the coronavirus in giant refrigerated containers as hundreds of deaths in the city of Guayaquil, the center of the country’s outbreak, have already filled morgues and hospitals.

Ecuador has confirmed 318 deaths from the virus, one of the highest tallies in Latin America. But President Lenin Moreno said this week that the real figure was higher as authorities were collecting more than 100 bodies a day, many from relatives’ homes as a strict quarantine prevented them from being buried.

The government has installed three containers, the largest about 12 meters (40 ft) long, at public hospitals to preserve bodies until graves were prepared, according to Guayaquil’s mayor, Cynthia Viteri. So far 150 victims have been buried in a private cemetery in the port city.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: According to John Hopkins, there are currently 3,600 Covid-19 cases, and 180 deaths.

More News On The Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic In Ecuador

Coronavirus: Ecuador Vice-President apologises after corpses left on streets of city -- AFP
Ecuador: cardboard coffins distributed amid coronavirus fears -- The Guardian
Bodies left in streets as COVID-19 overwhelms Ecuador -- UPI
Bodies pile up on streets in Ecuador as coronavirus spreads -- CBS
Bodies lie in the streets of Guayaquil, Ecuador, emerging epicenter of the coronavirus in Latin America -- Washington Post
President Moreno says Ecuador is building a 'coronavirus camp for the fallen' as the country struggles to deal with dead bodies lying in homes for days amid the coronavirus pandemic -- Daily Mail

Ecuador's Government Gives In To Protesters On Oil Subsidies After 2 Weeks Of Protests

Daily Mail: Ecuador's government gives in to protesters and agrees to reinstate fuel subsidies following two weeks of violent clashes that claimed seven lives

* President Lenin Moreno scrapped fuel subsidies to get $4.2 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund
* Fuel prices doubled and demonstrators took to the streets in their thousands to protest against the austerity
* Violence left seven dead but clashes were stopped when a deal was reached with the indigenous leaders
* Moreno met with Jaime Vargas for four hours of talks in the capital Quito broadcast live on state television

Ecuador's president and indigenous leaders reached an agreement yesterday to end nearly two weeks of violent protests against austerity measures adopted to obtain a multi-billion-dollar loan from the IMF.

The demonstrations have left seven people dead and were sparked when President Lenin Moreno scrapped fuel subsidies to obtain a $4.2 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund, causing prices to double.

Moreno met with Jaime Vargas, the head of the indigenous umbrella grouping CONAIE, for four hours of talks in the capital Quito which were broadcast live on state television.

Read more ....

More News On The Unrest In Ecuador

The Latest: Ecuador president, indigenous leaders set truce -- AP
Ecuador president, indigenous leaders agree to a truce -- France 24
Ecuador indigenous, president strike deal to end protests -- AP
Ecuador repeals law ending fuel subsidies in deal to stop protests -- BBC
Ecuador deal cancels austerity plan, ends indigenous protest -- AP
Ecuador government agrees to return fuel subsidies -- Al Jazeera

Riots Return To Streets Of Ecuador’s Capital

Reuters: Ecuador clashes rage despite military-backed curfew

QUITO (Reuters) - Ecuadorean police battled masked men who launched homemade projectiles at them in downtown Quito on Sunday, as protesters defied a curfew that was imposed by President Lenin Moreno in a bid to quell anti-austerity unrest.

Parts of the highland city of nearly 3 million people resembled a war zone, with armored military vehicles patrolling some streets and sounds resembling explosions and shots ringing out. In the historic center, men took shelter behind makeshift barricades amid plumes of tear gas, according to Reuters witnesses.

Ecuadoreans posted videos on social media of burning road blockades as the 11th day of unrest over cuts to fuel subsidies threatened to derail the first talks aimed at re-establishing peace.

An initial round of dialogue between the government and protest leaders began on Sunday after being delayed by three hours because of “operational difficulties,” said the United Nations in Ecuador, one of the mediators.

Read more ....

More News On The Unrest In Ecuador

Ecuadorians Return to Streets, Despite Military Curfew, After Violent Protests -- Time/AP
Ecuador indigenous, president open talks over protests -- AP
Ecuador extends curfews after violent protests -- CNN
Protesters Burn Two Military Vehicles in Quito - Ecuadorian Interior Ministry -- Sputnik
Riots return to streets of Ecuador’s capital despite previously imposed curfew (PHOTOS, VIDEO) -- RT

Ecuadorian President Orders Army Onto Streets Of Quito And Other Cities

Daily Mail: Ecuadorian President orders army onto streets to break up violent protests and enforce curfew just hours after indigenous group agrees to talks to settle fuel subsidy dispute

* President Lenin Moreno has ordered army onto the street to enforce curfew as Ecuador hit by protests
* Ecuadorian capital rocked by 10 days of violent protests over austerity plan to end fuel subsidies
* Triggered backlash with indigenous group bringing city of Quito to a standstill and four people left dead
* Government has announced it will hold direct talks with President Lenin Moreno to ease the clashes
* The President is faced with a $64 billion debt and a $10 billion annual deficit, and is raising taxes, liberalizing labor laws and cutting public spending in an attempt to win $4 billion in IMF financing

Ecuador's President Lenin Moreno has ordered the army on to the streets of the capital after a week-and-a-half of mass protests over a scrapped state fuel subsidy descended into violence.

Masked protesters attacked a television station, newspaper and the national auditor's office, setting it ablaze and sending black smoke billowing across the capital Quito's park and cultural complex around 1pm local time.

About two hours later, a group of several dozen masked men swarmed the offices of the private Teleamazonas television station in northern Quito, set fires on the grounds and tried to break into the building where about 20 employees were trapped.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The Ecuadorian government is swamped with debt and bills that it cannot pay. Another poster child on what happens when governments run up their debt to levels that they cannot pay.

More News On the Growing Unrest In Ecuador

President orders army onto streets of Ecuadorian capital -- AP
Ecuador's Moreno orders military-backed curfew starting in Quito -- Reuters
Ecuador president orders curfew, military control in Quito -- AFP
Ecuador protests: President imposes curfew amid worsening violence -- BBC
Ecuador president declares 'curfew' and 'militarization' in Quito -- DW
Ecuador president imposes curfew on capital amid protests -- Al Jazeera
Chaos in Ecuador as protesters ransack govt buildings, clash with police as military restricts movement throughout country -- RT

Protests Worsen In Ecuador

The Guardian: Ecuador: defiant protesters parade captured officers as unrest drags on

Eight uniformed officers were brought onto a stage and forced to address a crowd of thousands of activists but were not harmed

Indigenous protesters in Ecuador have paraded a group of captured police officers on stage in a brazen show of defiance to the government of Lenín Moreno, as protests against austerity-measures dragged into a second week.

Eight uniformed officers were brought onto a stage and forced to address a crowd of thousands of activists who have occupied the Casa de Cultura theatre in the capital Quito. A group of journalists, including the Guardian, were also temporarily prevented from leaving the theatre.

Read more ....

More News On The Unrest In Ecuador

In Ecuador, thousands march as anti-government protests intensify -- NBC/AP
Ecuador's streets rumble with indigenous wrath -- Reuters
Defiant protesters in Ecuador parade captive police officers -- AP
Ecuador shuts down major oil pipeline amid worsening protests over fuel prices -- France 24
Ecuador halts major oil pipeline due to protests, eyes force majeure -- Reuters
Ecuador’s indigenous people are leading the anti-government protests. They have a record of ousting presidents. -- The Washington Post
Ecuador unrest: What led to the mass protests? -- Al Jazeera

Violent Protests In Ecuador Has Forced The Government To Move From Quito To The Coastal City Of Guayaquil

FOX News: Ecuador's government flees capital as violent protests erupt in wake of fuel price hikes

Ecuador’s president is accusing his political rivals of trying to orchestrate a coup this week after violent protests tied to rising fuel prices forced his government to relocate away from the country’s capital.

Officials say about 350 people have been detained so far for blocking traffic, interrupting public services or attacking police following President Lenín Moreno’s decision to end government subsidies that have been keeping fuel prices down. Moreno says the subsidies have cost the government heavily in recent years and dropped them in a bid to stimulate Ecuador’s economy, but scenes coming out of Quito showed protesters throwing stones and marching through the streets in response.

Read more ....

More News On The Growing Unrest In Ecuador

Ecuador moves government out of capital amid violent fuel subsidy protests as president claims he is the target of a coup attempt -- Daily Mail
Ecuadorean president moves govt from capital as indigenous march to protest fuel prices -- France 24
Ecuador moves government out of capital as violent protests rage -- The Guardian
Ecuador protests: Government moves out of capital as violent demonstrations escalate -- The Independent
Ecuador government leaves capital city amid violent protests -- CNN
Ecuador Government Holds Talks to End Chaos After Fleeing Quito -- Bloomberg
Ecuador protests: Indigenous groups block highways as protests continue -- BBC
AP Explains: Crisis in Ecuador over end to fuel subsidies -- AP

Ecuador Declares State Of Emergency Amid Mass Protests Over The End Of Fuel Subsidies

Reuters: Ecuador declares state of emergency as fuel protesters battle police

QUITO (Reuters) - Ecuador’s President Lenin Moreno declared a state of emergency on Thursday as protesters hurled stones and erected burning barricades after the end of decades-old fuel subsidies as part of a $2 billion government fiscal reform package.

Police responded with tear gas in the worst unrest for years in the oil-producing Andean nation.

“Down with the package!” demonstrators shouted, referring to measures enacted this week as Moreno puts Ecuador on a centrist, market-friendly path after years of leftist rule.

With the fuel subsidy cut taking effect on Thursday, taxi, bus and truck drivers blocked streets from early morning in the highland capital Quito and in Guayaquil on the Pacific coast.

Read more ....

More News On Ecuador Declaring A State Of Emergency

Burning Tires Block Roads as Ecuador Declares State of Emergency -- Bloomberg
Ecuador declares state of emergency as fuel protests block roads -- Al Jazeera
State of Emergency Declared in Ecuador Amid Mass Protests -- Sputnik