Ecuador 'coup': 50 injured in clashes

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Telegraph

Ecuador 'coup': 50 injured in clashes
At least 50 people have been injured and one person is reported to have been killed during clashes between rebel police and supporters of the Ecuadoran president.
Published: 2:44AM BST 01 Oct 2010

"We've treated 50 people in Quito for medical emergencies due to asphyxiation due to tear gas and impacts from pellets and teargas canisters," said Jorge Arteaga, a Red Cross spokesman. Most of the injured had been involved in clashes outside the hospital where president Rafael Correa is being held.

Mr Arteaga said that injuries were also reported in other Ecuadoran cities where rebel police took to the streets.

Mr Correa was holed up at Quito's National Police Hospital, where he was taken after a tear gas canister exploded near him when he addressed rebellious police at a barracks nearby.

Although the police are surrounding the hospital and preventing him from leaving, Mr Correa told ECTV television that he is still running the country. "They're not letting me out," Mr Correa said. "They've got all the hospital exits surrounded.

"Obviously, it's a kidnapping, when you kidnap the president," he added. Mr Correa said he would not negotiate with the officers while he remains a captive. "I'd rather die," he said. "While this coercion continues, there's nothing we can talk about, nothing we can agree on. They'd better not even think of me signing anything," the president added. "The president is governing the nation from the hospital," he said. "I'm getting out of here as president or feet first, but I'm not going to lose my dignity," he warned.

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/ecuador/8036053/Ecuador-coup-50-injured-in-clashes.html

[BeFree]

1. I like that

"I'd rather die,"

"I'm getting out of here as president or feet first, but I'm not going to lose my dignity,"

That is my kind of leader.

[maryf]

2. K&R nt

[Judi Lynn]

3. Correa Claims Ecuador Coup Attempt After Scuffling With Police

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

4. Lots of shooting and screaming as the armed forces storm the hospital followed by citizens. Live fee...

from Telesur. Narrated by journalist Cristian Salas.

[Downwinder]

5. Hillary said it was OK in Honduras, what do you expect?

[Judi Lynn]

6. Sickening. A Democratic woman blessing the least democratic kind of government in the world. n/t

[rabs]

7. Shots were fired at vehicle carrying Correa

after army Special Forces troops rescued him from the police hospital where he was held hostage for almost 12 hours.

On the way to the Presidential Palace, three rifle bullets hit the hood and one hit the windshield on the passenger's side of the Nissan Patrol vehicle where Correa was sitting.

No one reported wounded, so assume the vehicle is armored.

This has now turned into an assassination attempt in addition to a coup attempt.

Se quiso atentar contra la vida del Presidente Correa; vehículo oficial tiene 4 impactos de fúsil
por ANDES/AR » 22:30 - 30 sep 2010

[Judi Lynn]

8. Thank god there were people who couldn't be bought off who were looking out for the President.

Pretty damned overt, those shots. Hard to overlook or camouflage an attempt on the life of the elected President of Ecuador. If they didn't have him in the right kind of vehicle he would be toast.

This gets a whole lot more severe when you add assassination attempts, doesn't it? Hoping like hell they run every one of these bastards down, and they give up the people inside and OUTSIDE the country who organized this.

So glad you've added this essential information.

[rabs]

10. There is a state of emergency

in which police and others who participated are being hunted. Correa tonight announced that there would be a purge of the police.

------------------------------


Froilán Jiménez, a Special Forces soldier who went to the rescue of Correa received fatal bullet wounds. Correa paid homage to his heroism tonight.

The Special Forces were ambushed when they reached the hospital. Correa mentioned one dead and 27 wounded.

Fyi lots of info in the Ecuadoran Spanish-language media that the MSM has not caught up with yet.

[Judi Lynn]

13. What a shame anyone was harmed, not to even mention the sad sacrifice made by the Special Forces man

I think I saw somewhere the police were actually shooting machine guns at the people defending Rafael Correa at one point.

These guys were really organized. Sure hope they catch enough of them to find out ALL about this.

Crazy this is getting such lame attention from our own right-wing owned corporate media, and stupid comment from Hillary. You'd think they'd at least make an effort to treat it like a serious event.

[EFerrari]

15. It begins to look as if our government, and I don't mean only Obama's

but all American governments, go out of their way to avoid mentioning Latin America to avoid drawing attention to the true nature of our relationship with the region.

[Judi Lynn]

17. Exactly. We've all been kept completely ignorant through a media blackout over the years,

because there is truly nothing in the history of the U.S. government vs. the human beings of Latin America to write home about.

Horrific stories everywhere. Damned sad. Shameful.

[Ichingcarpenter]

9. Correa's enemies are the right wing media and big oil

Sound Familiar?



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafael_Correa

[Judi Lynn]

12. Sure as heck does. Sounds like Venezuela, doesn't it? Jeez. n/t

[Ichingcarpenter]

14. I was thinking the US

LOL!

[Judi Lynn]

16. Uh, oh, YEAH! True enough! Must have been hysterical blocking there!

http://pubrecord.org.nyud.net:8090/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/dick-cheney-george-bush-photo-1.jpg

[Starry Messenger]

11. k & r

[TexasObserver]

18. recommend