Ecuador oil protesters threaten to resume attacks

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Gee, who could have predicted this.

QUITO, Ecuador, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Protesters who crippled Ecuador's vital oil industry earlier this month threatened on Saturday to resume their attacks, accusing energy companies of changing the terms of a settlement reached on Thursday.

Protest leaders said they would meet on Sunday in the eastern oil town of Francisco de Orellana to decide whether to resume dynamiting pipelines and vandalizing pumping equipment in their attempt to force companies to invest more in the poor Amazon communities where they operate.

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Earlier this week, the protesters agreed to a "good neighbor" pact with the government and private oil companies, promising to halt the attacks in exchange for more local investment.

The protesters said the companies, which only agreed verbally to the deal and did not actually sign the accord, were trying to loosen its requirements.

Reuters

[wli]

1. protest = attack is reich wing spin n/t

[struggle4progress]

2. Ecuador may see new protests in 48 hours-activists

28 Aug 2005 21:53:51 GMT

Source: Reuters

By Hugh Bronstein

QUITO, Ecuador, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Activists in northeastern Ecuador vowed on Sunday to resume protests that recently hobbled the country's vital oil industry if energy firms do not sign a deal within 48 hours to increase local investment.

Energy Minister Ivan Rodriguez said he expected the private oil companies to agree to the protesters' terms before the deadline expires.

"We have decided to reactivate protests in 48 hours from midday today if the oil companies do not sign," said Guadalupe Llori, prefect of Orellana province, following a meeting of protest leaders in the Amazon oil town of Francisco de Orellana.

Many of the protest leaders are elected officials from Sucumbios and Orellana provinces. <snip>

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N28159109.htm

[bemildred]

3. I'm just wondering what the military is going to do.

They have behaved themselves fairly well so far.