By Alec B.
Quito, Ecuador, Oct 5th 2010
Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa‘s advisors said he is in good spirits after a failed police revolution. The Ecuadorian government seemed like it was on the verge of collapse a few weeks ago after the national police stormed through the streets of Quito, the capital, and physically beat Mr. Correa and kidnapped him. The government declared a one week national emergency on Thursday, shutting down schools, buses and the public subway system, practically bringing the country to a standstill.
The police force was protesting the Ecuadorian parliament‘s decision to cut bonuses and promotions within the national police. After hearing the news, the police stationed in and around Quito revolted, storming city streets and public buildings and even going as far as throwing tear gas at the president in his own presidential palace. Mr. Correa is in good health and is awaiting permission from the Army to return home after they swiftly entered the city and put an end to the uprising.
According to an official in the U.S. Secretary of State‘s office in Washington, many nations sympathized with Mr. Correa while others stated that the event was mistreatment of the police force by the Ecuadorian government. The official said, ―If they are revolting, they are doing it because they are desperate and are in need of help and aid. This should not be a war cry, but a wake-up call that the president is not doing his job. Emergency meetings with the nations of South America took place on Friday. They came to a decision that until the state of emergency is lifted, all countries surrounding Ecuador are advised to close their borders with the nation. ―They have a right,‖ said Honduran president Manuel Zelaya, whose country had its own coup last year, ―to provide themselves with safety—it‘s a necessary precaution.‖ Honduras, a nation in the middle of a constitutional crisis, had closed borders with surrounding nations as late as March of this year. The national crisis is set to be lifted if the Army and the president deem the country safe. The President said, ―I won‘t punish them, they don‘t deserve that if they are just trying to make a life for themselves. If I let them rot in a prison cell, am I any better than they are?
This just proves a stronger point. Thomas Jefferson said, ―a rebellion here and now is not such a bad thing. I believe the police uprising in Ecuador is not such a bad thing.
The police force was protesting the Ecuadorian parliament‘s decision to cut bonuses and promotions within the national police. After hearing the news, the police stationed in and around Quito revolted, storming city streets and public buildings and even going as far as throwing tear gas at the president in his own presidential palace. Mr. Correa is in good health and is awaiting permission from the Army to return home after they swiftly entered the city and put an end to the uprising.
According to an official in the U.S. Secretary of State‘s office in Washington, many nations sympathized with Mr. Correa while others stated that the event was mistreatment of the police force by the Ecuadorian government. The official said, ―If they are revolting, they are doing it because they are desperate and are in need of help and aid. This should not be a war cry, but a wake-up call that the president is not doing his job. Emergency meetings with the nations of South America took place on Friday. They came to a decision that until the state of emergency is lifted, all countries surrounding Ecuador are advised to close their borders with the nation. ―They have a right,‖ said Honduran president Manuel Zelaya, whose country had its own coup last year, ―to provide themselves with safety—it‘s a necessary precaution.‖ Honduras, a nation in the middle of a constitutional crisis, had closed borders with surrounding nations as late as March of this year. The national crisis is set to be lifted if the Army and the president deem the country safe. The President said, ―I won‘t punish them, they don‘t deserve that if they are just trying to make a life for themselves. If I let them rot in a prison cell, am I any better than they are?
This just proves a stronger point. Thomas Jefferson said, ―a rebellion here and now is not such a bad thing. I believe the police uprising in Ecuador is not such a bad thing.
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