Ecuador under Coup attempt.

[Mugekuge]

So hmmm i don't know if i should start a topic on this but after seeing President Correa, i am really happy to see someone ruling a country that isn't scared to risk his life trying to defend his government.

Long story short, government removed some bonus payment that police/army can receive when they do exceptional services and made the rank system in police to take longer.

He got attacked by some police officers today, he had to go the hospital and was kidnapped by them, a few minutes ago army went and rescued him.

Ecuador has had 7 presidents last 13 years and like 3-4 coup attempts in that timeframe.

"When they demanded that I revoke the law to let me out, I told them, 'Don't waste time with me. I leave as president of a dignified nation, or I leave as a cadaver,"

"But, forget it. 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."

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/am...ex.html?hpt=T1

[kuronosan]

This just in, people. If you don't agree with your government, just kidnap them and act like stupid assholes. That's a surefire way to be fair.

[notorious bum]

Incoming information about U.S. backed coup, as with almost every other previous S.American coups.

[Stumblingdrunk]

This just in, people. If you don't agree with your government, just kidnap them and act like stupid assholes. That's a surefire way to be fair.

this was not the people, it was technically an arm of the govenrment, stop pretending people's rebellion is always unjustified, especially when your example is not actually "the people"

[notorious bum]

Thought that was his sarcasm. I didn't think he was actually referring to citizens being responsible for the coup in OP, that would be a huge misunderstanding.... although, I would love to kidnap just one of these nutjobs, fly them to an unidentifiable island and shout "VIVA LA REVOLUTION", then just leave him there with some indigenous tribe that has no contact with the outside world.

"You may say I'm a dreamer. But I'm not the only one..."

[Kuya]

Going to reserve judgement until i find out more, but what from i'm seeing, it just seems like some disgruntled government functionaries trying to use force to get what they want. I admire the president's behaviour, but i'm not sure this was a coup in the sense of a specific attempt to change a government.

[guartz]

This just in, people. If you don't agree with your government, just kidnap them and act like stupid assholes. That's a surefire way to be fair.

This just in, governments that don't agree with their people kidnap them and act like stupid assholes.

[Valkrish]

if i had my entire salary cut by 1/3 I would be upset.

[Kaisha]

So did they..............arrest the police who beat up and kipnapped prez? Article doesn't seem to mention it, but I also don't know what their system is like.

[notorious bum]

Apparently, a team of police loyal to the president came in and rescued him from a siege in the hospital, where he was being hunted by the nutjob police.

President wanted to reform the outlandish bonuses and rank wages and make it fair across the police force, instead of continuing the increase of police base salary like previous administrations. Still watching the follow-up news atm but sounds like this was mislabeled as a coup.

update: yeah, government is back to "normal", so def wasn't a coup, but a case of someone manipulating the police to instill fear in the president. Unconfirmed reports that a former president was behind the escalation.

So much for my romanticized first-impression of a military coup :\

[Mugekuge]

Yea, i'd like to rename title but it looks i can't, news yesterday said some air force officers took control of the airport (150 from what i read), Lucio Gutierrez is a former president and did a coup a few years back in Ecuador, government is saying he is part of the situation, but yea it wasn't a coup, just a group of cops and a small group of air force (nacional police commander quit after what happened).

[notorious bum]

The hospital siege reminded me of Hard Boiled. Man that scene was epic.

[Indalecia]

I haven't been to Ecuador in years, but going to one of their malls is trippy as hell. Every third light stanchion has 2 police/army men with guns mounted in it out in the parking lot.