Ecuador president safe after foiled police uprising
Sunday, 3 October 2010
QUITO, Oct 2 (AFP): Ecuador's President Rafael Correa was back at work Friday under tight security after loyalist troops rescued him from a police mutiny in a day of gunfire and street clashes that left eight dead.
"No one can pass. That's the order from the top," said a soldier standing guard outside the presidential palace.
Even Correa's supporters, thousands of whom had celebrated the president's return late Thursday, were barred from approaching the building.
The leftist president is "safe and well," a somber police chief Freddy Martinez said, adding he was resigning after the uprising.
Interior Minister Gustavo Jalkh said the police forces had returned to work after "an unfortunate, critical, chaotic" day.
According to Deputy Interior Minister Edwin Jarrin, only 600 police officers out of force of some 40,000 took part in the uprising to protest cuts to bonus payments linked to seniority.
"No one can pass. That's the order from the top," said a soldier standing guard outside the presidential palace.
Even Correa's supporters, thousands of whom had celebrated the president's return late Thursday, were barred from approaching the building.
The leftist president is "safe and well," a somber police chief Freddy Martinez said, adding he was resigning after the uprising.
Interior Minister Gustavo Jalkh said the police forces had returned to work after "an unfortunate, critical, chaotic" day.
According to Deputy Interior Minister Edwin Jarrin, only 600 police officers out of force of some 40,000 took part in the uprising to protest cuts to bonus payments linked to seniority.