Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa has warned that there will be “no forgiving nor forgetting" for those who rebelled against his leadership and held him custody.
After being rescued from the hospital were he was held by police who mutinied against the state, Correa told crowds who came to greet him that this was not a simple incident about pay gripes but a bid to overthrow the government:
“Those people made the institution look so bad that they attacked their co-citizens, that they abused the weapons given to them by the society to which they belong, that they dishonored the police uniform. Of course, all the people who can be identified will have the corresponding sanction. There will be no forgiving nor forgetting."
The unrest comes on the back of austerity measures passed by Congress, which sparked widespread protests in the country. However the situation rapidly deteriorated after police joined the protests. Police were specifically protesting the ending of giving bonuses with each promotion, which the new austerity measures are cutting.
Roadways, airports and borders were shut down, businesses looted and the President assaulted during the riots. Correa was punched, nearly blinded by teargas and had hot water thrown on him as negotiations got out of control. A government helicopter attempted to extract him but was unable to safely land. When the President was taken to hospital rebel police laid siege to it.
Other Latin American leaders, as well as
the UN and US rallied in support of Correa, who heads one of South
America’s most volatile countries.
