Curfew Declared in Ecuador to Halt Oil-Strike Unrest

Text of report by Ecuadoran CRE Satelital radio website on 9 March

The government has decreed a curfew in the Amazon region to calm the unrest that has taken place in the last few hours due to the strike by sub-contracted oil workers.

Prior to this, the government decreed a state of emergency in the [Amazon region] provinces of Orellana, Napo and Sucumbios.

On Wednesday [8 March] there were clashes between workers and the Ecuadoran army at oil wells in Sasha, Libertador and Lago Agrio.

As a result of the clashes a total of 15 oil workers have been arrested for protesting, while the union is holding four members of the army.

The sub-contracted oil workers, who are demanding payment of late salaries, met this afternoon to analyse their options, the first is to halt the protest and give the government five days and the second is to continue the protest and intensify it.

In the end they chose the second option unanimously, Marcial Vargas, the leader of the sub-contracted workers, told CRE radio.

endall