Quito, Ecuador – Thousands of police and soldiers were deployed to clear blocked highways Wednesday after the government declared a state of emergency in four provinces to curb Indian protests against a proposed free-trade deal with Washington.
The measure announced late Tuesday suspends constitutional rights to public assembly and gives police and the military broad powers to impose curfews and make arrests in the Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, Imbabura and Canar provinces, as well as the towns of Tabacundo and Cayambe.
Luis Macas, leader of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador, told reporters Wednesday his movement would end its protests if President Alfredo Palacio gave in to at least one of several demands.
Macas wants Ecuador to pull its trade negotiators out of Washington ahead of a final round of talks scheduled to start today; put the possible free-trade pact to a national referendum; cancel an oil concession granted to U.S.-based Occidental Petroleum Corp.; or convene a constitutional assembly to rewrite Ecuador’s constitution.
About 1,500 Indians and students marched peacefully Wednesday through the capital, chanting, “We don’t want to be a North American colony” and “Get out, Occidental.” The demonstrators dispersed when police prevented them from approaching the government palace. No confrontations or arrests were reported.
Interior Minister Felipe Vega told Channel 4 television that security forces had been deployed overnight to clear “each of the 20 points” around Ecuador’s highlands where roads were blocked.
