councilor.org
| Source | Fred Moseley |
| Date | 10/10/03/08:41 |
| I have an ex-student who is from Quito, so I asked her for an insider's
view of the events on Thursday, and she sent me this very informative message... THURSDAY WAS ONE of the saddest days in Ecuadorian history. It all started as a strike by the police force and a small fraction of the military, because the day before a new law was approved by the government cutting down their benefits such as Christmas bonuses, promotion bonuses, prolonging to 7 the numbers of years needed to receive a promotion, etc. Although the government had already increased their salaries, these new measures were not received well by the police, military and their families. So the police decided to go on strike on Thursday, leaving the country completely unprotected. The police blocked roads, burned tires, the way protests usually develop in Latin America. In the meantime, there were numerous bank robberies, stores were looted, houses robbed, and there was plenty of fear among people because thieves were basically free to do whatever they wanted. In the meantime, President Correa decided to visit one of the main police precincts in Quito where many policemen had gathered. He gave a speech that infuriated the protesters, creating more unrest. As he left the precinct things got out of control, tear gas was thrown at him, he was pushed and his leg was hurt (he recently had a knee replacement surgery). With the help of only two of his men he was a able to escape to the Police Hospital, which is right next to this precinct. He received medical attention right away and by the time he was ready to leave, the building was surrounded by police force impeding his departure until he revised the law and gave them back their benefits. President Correa refused to negotiate under such circumstances and so had to remain inside the hospital. He had constant telephone contact with other government officials and with the media, and many of his closest ministers and advisers where able to enter the hospital and plan from there how things would develop. The government immediately monopolized all TV and radio stations. The only source of information came from the government, as private TV channels and radios were not allowed to broadcast. State of emergency was declared and so we lost our civil liberties. People were confused and misinformed as to what was really going on. By 8pm the media was allowed to broadcast once again and the country lived one of the most terrible moments in Ecuadorian history. The President approved his rescue mission and 500 soldiers were deployed to the area. We watched live how intense shooting started between the police and the army. The images we watched resembled those of a warfare, we saw as soldiers died before our eyes. The President was rescued from the hospital and taken to the government palace. But 8 people died and more than 200 were injured. In my opinion it was not a coup d'état. It was a police revolt that got out of control and resulted in actions that are condemnable and cannot be justified. Impeding the President to leave the hospital and demanding their benefits back under such conditions, was a terrible mistake. Leaving the country unprotected and shooting and killing soldiers who attempted to liberate the President is something that one cannot understand, and that deserves proper punishment by law. It was not a coup d'état because at no time was there anyone attempting to take over the Presidency. Police leaders swore their loyalty to the government. Policemen striking and protesting on the streets emphasized their loyalty to the government but deplored the law that removed their benefits. Opposition leaders did not support a coup d'état. There was no politician attempting to take over the government. And two of the strongest opposition leaders were not even in the country. Other movements that have been strong critics of the government such as indigenous, education, and transportation groups did not join the protests. The military remained loyal to the government. And most importantly, there were no demonstrations/protests from the civil sector. People who oppose the government did not go out on the streets to protest or support the police cause. President Correa never lost contact with his government and was able to plan his own rescue mission from within the hospital. He held numerous telephone conversations with the government TV channel and radio. He received Ministers and advisers in the hospital. If the police attempted a real coup d'état none of this would have been permitted. President Correa made the unwise decision of entering the police precinct and challenging those present, instead of opening a dialogue with police authorities in order to solve the situation. His reckless actions created a very dangerous situation for democracy in Ecuador. The government failed terribly at preventing the police strike from happening and opening a dialogue with the police and military, in order to reach a better understanding and agreement. The country should have never been left unprotected for one day and no one should have had to die. The general feeling in Ecuador is of tremendous sorrow and sadness, because things could have been handled better and the crisis could have been prevented. The government has many challenges ahead and the days to come will be crucial in terms of healing the wounds created by this revolt. This is my opinion on what happened on Thursday. I hope I was able to express it well. Fortunately, we've had an uneventful and peaceful weekend. Hope you have a very nice Sunday! |
Copyright (c) 1998, Joongpil Cho