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Truce Brings Calm to Ecuador Oil Protest

Truce Brings Calm to Ecuador Oil Protest
By Associated Press
August 21, 2005, 10:33 PM EDT

QUITO, Ecuador -- Protests in Ecuador's northeast Amazon region that brought oil production to a halt were suspended Sunday after demonstrators and the government agreed to a truce.

A state of emergency declared Wednesday remained in place for the Sucumbios and Orellana provinces, where residents had taken over two airports, blocked roads, occupied oil camps and sabotaged oil facilities. The demonstrators have demanded that oil companies hire more local residents and make income tax and royalty payments directly to local governments.

Both sides were debating the possibility of sending representatives to Quito for negotiations.

"(The protests) are suspended momentarily while we engaged in a dialogue," Guadalupe Llori, an official with the province of Orellana, said Sunday. "But either we will have results from the talks or we will return to the previous measures."

Police and soldiers moved forcefully to quell the protests, arresting some local officials and retaking control of the region.

State-run oil company Petroecuador said Saturday that it had restored 33,167 barrels of crude output in the northeast Amazon, a 5,000-barrel increase from Friday, but was still about 168,000 barrels short of normal daily capacity.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Sunday that his country had agreed to provide oil to Ecuador until its industry stabilizes.

"Venezuela will assume the commitments of the Ecuadorean government," said Chavez, who was hosting his weekly radio and television show from Cuba. He said Ecuador would not be charged.

Ecuador's government says crude production will not be able to return to normal until at least October.


LINK: http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-ecuador-oil,0,2523045.story?coll=sns-ap-wo...