State of emergency in Ecuador extended

[maddezmom]

Source: CNN

(CNN) -- A state of emergency in Ecuador has been extended to Friday, the country's government announced, as investigators watch videos and review photographs to identify officers involved in last week's police uprising. It was originally set to expire Tuesday.

The state of emergency was prolonged because of "shameful acts and protests" by some national police officers in front of the headquarters of the National Assembly, in an effort to impede its work, the state-run Andes news agency reported.

The decree mobilizes the military to be in charge of securing the country instead of the police. The goal is to allow the assembly to continue with its work.

"The government is very, very saddened by the subject and feels there is nothing to celebrate, but things are gradually returning to normal," Alexis Mera, the president's legal secretary, said in a statement issued before the state of emergency's extension.



Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/10/05/ecuador.unrest/?hpt=T2

[Downwinder]

1. Might result in more than "suspended with pay" or "retired with full benefits."

Lead the way.

[COLGATE4]

2. Rafael is very nervous. Stay tuned.

[maddezmom]

3. Ecuador: Government Maintains State Of Emergency In Quito indefinitely

Ecuador: Government Maintains State Of Emergency In Quito



QUITO -(Dow Jones)- The government of President Rafael Correa has decided to maintain indefinitely in Quito the state of emergency it decreed on Sept. 30 in response to a police uprising.

Ecuador's national police walked off the job Sept. 30 to protest planned cuts to their benefits, sparking widespread rioting.

The incident escalated when Correa confronted protesters in a police barracks, then sought refuge in a hospital before the military engaged in a gun battle to rescue him.

President Correa, a close ally of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, has called the incident a coup attempt, but observers and opposition said that Correa was trying to exaggerate the unrest in order to gain support.

Originally, the state of emergency was scheduled for all of the country for five days, then extended until Friday, but it then was extended indefinitely for Quito.

more:http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=201010101309dowjonesdjonline000194&title=ecuadorgovernment-maintains-state-of-emergency-in-quito

[EFerrari]

4. Gotta love this reporting.

"but observers and opposition said that Correa was trying to exaggerate the unrest"

They shut down the country, took over two airports, mounted attacks on the media and occupied the Legislature's chamber. They have people on tape conspiring to kill the president and two in his security detail were shot dead -- but he's "exaggerating".

[maddezmom]

5. sorry, just copy/pasted it

:hi:

[Downwinder]

6. In the fine print at the bottom:

"During the Sept. 30 events, about eight people died and a 280 were injured."

[EFerrari]

7. Oh, I know. I've been following this story

and the way it has been minimized in the States, in the UK and in Spain. It's pretty amazing. :hi:

[Downwinder]

8. Understandable. Makes too good an argument against a "national" police force.