Ecuador declares state of emergency on coup attempt

Ecuador declared a state of emergency amid a coup attempt yesterday, enabling the military to take over the functions of police taking part in the rebellion, Security Minister Miguel Carvajal said.

Mr Carvajal told reporters that the armed forces “have received instructions to maintain public order and guarantee the rights of citizens.”

He said that “not all the police are in insubordination” despite a wave of unrest in the country over a move to cut benefits for law enforcement.

The armed forces chief, Ernesto Gonzalez, has announ-ced support for President Rafael Correa after a group of soldiers seized the main airport in Quito and police officers seized the Congress

Meanwhile Brazil said it was giving its “total support” to Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa, who said he was facing a coup in his country.

Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim expressed his country’s backing in a telephone call to Ecuadoran Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino, Brazilian officials said in a statement.

Mr Amorim, who is on an official visit to Haiti, also discussed the situation with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, with whom he stressed his “pre-occupation” at demonstra-tions in Ecuador said to involve soldiers and police.

Brazil’s representative in the Organization of American States was also instructed to follow the events.

Mr Correa, who said he had sought refuge in a hospital after a demonstration turned ugly, told local television he was the victim of a coup bid led by the opposition and certain sections of the security forces.

Late yesterday Peruvian Presi-dent Alan Garcia ordered his nation’s border closed with Ecuador.