Ecuador

By Larry Habegger | Permalink | No Comments | April 19th, 2005 | Trackback

Several days of protests in Quito against President Lucio Gutierrez prompted him to declare a state of emergency that was lifted the next day as a part of a deal with Congress to resolve the crisis. The unrest stems from the sacking of the Supreme Court and packing it with judges supportive of Gutierrez’s policies by lawmakers loyal to the president. Those judges have now been dismissed and a new Supreme Court will be appointed. Opposition leaders and thousands of protesters called Gutierrez a dictator and demanded his resignation, but he vowed not to step down. The unrest spread to the coastal city of Guayaquil April 18, with the mayor leading a protest by tens of thousands. Such demonstrations have driven two presidents from office since 1997. More unrest is likely.

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