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Ecuador govt declares state of
emergency for Amazon oil protest
The Ecuadorian government
declared astate of emergency in
two Amazon provinces of
Sucumbios and Orellana after
protesters caused severe
disruption to the country's oil
production to press their demand
for greater spending on
infrastructure and social
programs.
The government "has an
obligation to protect oil
installations, the airports and
has to guarantee public
security," Interior Minister
Mauricio Gandara said after
declaring the state of
emergency.
The measure triggered a violent
reaction in Lago Agrio, 180 km
northeast of Quito.
Local television broadcasted
footage of residents attacking a
municipal building, smashing
windows and looting computers,
books and other office supplies.
Residents of the two Amazon
provinces in Ecuador's northeast
Amazon obstructed the main roads
leading to oil fields in the
zone since Sunday morning, and
the protests also shut down
operations at two provincial
airports.
Some 3,000 soldiers and police
were in the zone to force out
protesters who had taken over
about 250 wells, authorities
said.
Officials at state-run oil
company Petroecuador said crude
oil production had dropped 90
percent from 202,500 barrels to
20,000 barrels, causing losses
of about 12 million US dollars
in revenue from Monday to
Wednesday.
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