Ecuador Declares Emergency Amid Indian Protests


 "Thousands of Indians have arrived in Quito since last weekend to
 protest government-mandated hikes in transportation and fuel prices.

 The International Monetary Fund backs the measures aimed at boosting
 the coffers of the cash-strapped government in the poor Andean nation."

 Ecuador Declares Emergency Amid Indian Protests
 http://news.lycos.com/headlines/world/article.asp?docid=
 RTINTERNATIONAL-ECUADOR-EMERGENCY-DC&date=20010202

 Friday, February 02, 2001

 QUITO, Ecuador (Reuters) - Ecuador's President Gustavo Noboa declared
 a state of national emergency on Friday after the breakdown of talks
 with Indian leaders over price hikes.

 A state of emergency allows the government to limit group meetings
 and nationwide travel, inspect private homes without other legal
 authority and dispatch military and police forces as it deems
 necessary, according to the constitution.

 Thousands of Indians have arrived in Quito since last weekend to
 protest government-mandated hikes in transportation and fuel prices.

 The International Monetary Fund backs the measures aimed at boosting
 the coffers of the cash-strapped government in the poor Andean
 nation.

 Protesters have blocked highways, making vehicle travel nearly
 impossible and triggering a scarcity of basic goods in some major cities.

 A leader of the National Indian Federation, Marco Tongoy, told
 Reuters late on Friday talks with the government had broken down.

 Ecuador, which has had four presidents in the past four years, is
 struggling to restore political stability after a mass Indian
 uprising, backed by some military personnel, overthrew President
 Jamil Mahuad just one year ago. The coup brought Noboa, who was then
 vice president, into power.

 Last week, thousands of Indians flooded Quito's Salesian University,
 where they sleep crunched on the gymnasium floor and plan activities
 of social protest in the school's blacktop courtyard during the day.

 But they have held few marches because scores of police officers
 surround the university campus and disperse protesters with tear gas
 when they try to start a demonstration.

 During the week's standoff, an Indian and two union leaders were
 detained and later freed by authorities and protesters, in turn,
 took hostage a police officer and released him.

 The military has warned it will not allow protests that risk the
 stability of the nation of 12.4 million people.

 Copyright ©2001 Reuters Limited.