Indian Rebels Trying to Overthrow Government, Ecuadorean Officials Say

Officials here said Saturday that “extremist politicians” were manipulating a massive Indian protest against price hikes to try to overthrow the government a year after a similar uprising ended in a coup.

In a televised address to the nation, Interior Minister Juan Manrique said the political group, which he did not identify, wanted to “disrupt order in the Republic, alter the legal system and illegitimately grasp the power of the state.”

The address came a day after the government declared a national state of emergency empowering the military to evict thousands of protesters--some carrying spears--who have flooded into Quito and blocked key highways across the Andean nation.

Over the past week, security forces firing tear gas have clashed with protesters who object to government-mandated gasoline and public transport price hikes that, backed by the International Monetary Fund, are intended to boost ailing state coffers. The impoverished nation of 12.4 million people is embroiled in one of its worst economic crises in decades.

Last year, after widespread demonstrations the same Indian leaders who have organized the current protest took over the Congress building in a move that led, with support from some in the military, to the ouster of then-President Jamil Mahuad.

Political analysts have said it is unlikely that this year’s protests will topple Mahuad’s successor, President Gustavo Noboa, because he has the backing of the business community and, in particular, the military, which often acts a key power broker.

Still, Noboa is struggling to consolidate political stability in the Italy-sized nation that has had four presidents in four years.

About 5,000 Indian protesters have gathered in Quito at Salesian University, where security was tightened Saturday. Indians carrying spears guarded the doors, restricted traffic flow and checked visitors’ identification.

The government’s imposition of the national state of emergency indicated that security forces might evict the protesters from the university during the week, political analysts said.

Defense Minister Hugo Unda told Ecuadoreans in Saturday’s government address that the emergency allowed the armed forces to “plan and execute evictions of groups that occupy public and private installations.”

The state of emergency empowers the government to limit group meetings and nationwide travel, search private homes without legal authority, and dispatch military and police forces as it deems necessary.

But Antonio Vargas, president of Ecuador’s National Indian Federation and leader of last year’s overthrow, vowed not to back down.

“They’ve been insisting we talk and threatening to evict us. They want to apply a strong hand. We’re not going to run, we’re not going to faint. We are going to stay right here until we reach our objective,” Vargas said in a speech at the university.

Manrique accused Vargas of breaking off talks with the government, which sought a peaceful solution to the conflict.

Indian leaders said talks were called off Friday because Noboa did not personally attend the meetings and the vice president and cabinet ministers handling them would not discuss repealing the price hikes.

The nation is reeling from an economic crisis that has sparked 91% annual inflation--the highest in Latin America--and with only 25% of Ecuadoreans able to work in full-time jobs.