Upheaval

Ecuador Coup: Rafael Correa Attacked

Following uprising by national police.

Quito, Ecuador, has descended into chaos as members of the state's police force flooded the streets, angry at cutbacks in bonuses and promotions. Mobs threw tear gas canisters at President Rafael Correa, who was sent to a nearby hospital, and other policemen burned tires, garbage and some engaged in looting. Neighboring Peru has shut down its borders with Ecuador due to the upheaval, and the country is now in a state of emergency. “They fired gas on us—on the president of the republic," Correa told an Ecuadorian media outlet. "This is treason to the country, treason to their president." Correa remains defiant in the face of the tumult, calling the riots "a coup attempt": "I won't relent. If something happens to me, remember my infinite love for my country, and to my family I say that I will love them anywhere I end up."