quarta-feira, 6 de outubro de 2010

State of emergency in Ecuador extended


(CNN) -- A state of emergency in Ecuador has been extended to Friday, the country's government announced, as investigators watch videos and review photographs to identify officers involved in last week's police uprising. It was originally set to expire Tuesday.
The state of emergency was prolonged because of "shameful acts and protests" by some national police officers in front of the headquarters of the National Assembly, in an effort to impede its work, the state-run Andes news agency reported.
The decree mobilizes the military to be in charge of securing the country instead of the police. The goal is to allow the assembly to continue with its work.
"The government is very, very saddened by the subject and feels there is nothing to celebrate, but things are gradually returning to normal," Alexis Mera, the president's legal secretary, said in a statement issued before the state of emergency's extension.
President Rafael Correa was physically attacked by police in a day of protests that paralyzed the country Thursday.
Correa and other South American leaders have described the events as an attempted coup. Troops rescued Correa in a dramatic shootout with officers at a hospital, where the president said he was held for more than 10 hours.
The country's security minister told reporters Monday that authorities were reviewing video and photographs to identify police involved. And Attorney General Washington Pesantez said he had opened an investigation, CNN affiliate Ecuavisa reported.
CNN