No such thing as a coup d'etat (go back »)

As a way of thanking the many gestures of interest and simpathy for the events that occured in my country yesterday, I feel it is my responsibility as an Ecuadorean to clarify some of the facts that have been terribly misunderstood by international media.
 
First and foremost,  there was never a coup d`etat or even a slight attempt to overthrow the Government. The police members that were protesting demanded a very specific thing: the annulment of a Law that was approved a couple of days before, under which some of the bennefits for public servants (including members of the Police and Armed Forces) were removed. If you listened to the interviews made during the first hours yesterday, you might have notticed that not a single one of the rioting police men mentioned anything about taking over power or demanding Mr. Correa to leave his post.
 
If the rioting police members had had a real intention to kill the President (as he repeated after his rescue last night), they would have done so. Especially when Correa himself ripped off his tie and challenged the mob to do it, instead of using that first approach with the police to dialogue and open a path to conciliation. Later on, he took shelter in the nearby Police Hospital under his own will. He was never kidnapped, nor forced to stay there. Even more, many Ministers and State officials met with him and came in and out the building without any restriction.
 
After noon, the events that took place had a deep impact in the appreciation of the crisis by the international community. Alleging the existence of a coup, President Correa declared a state of emergency, under which it demanded all independent media to broadcast the official signal of the State Channel. The Decree under which the state of Emergency was declared never stated that any rights would be restricted, therefore, the limitation to the right to freedom of expression and information was, to say the least, out of line.  The Government´s version was therefore, the only one broadcasted to Ecuadorians and abroad. Regrettably, international media and many NGO´s followed this biased version, and the idea that Ecuador was under a coup was rapidly disseminated.
Please not that international bodies like the Permanent Council of the OAS, and the Inter- American Commission on Human Rights strictly refrained from using the expression ¨coup d`etat¨ when addressing the situation in Ecuador. They just mentioned the existence of a threat to democracy and stability, but nothing was said on an actual attempt to overthrow Mr. Correa because there was none. As many people have manifested, categorizing yeterday´s events as a coup was an irresponsible act of missinformed media that deeply contributed to the raise of panic and chaos.
 
At night, Ecuador witnessed how President Correa was rescued by over 700 members of the special forces (700!!!!!) who engaged on a shooting with the rioting police men in an area where two hospitals are located. Two persons died and other 44 are badly injured, due to this excesive use of force.
President Correa rushed to Carondelet (Ecuador´s  Presidential House), where his supporters had gathered. It was surprising to see how fast the President´s assistants had set a stage, a giant screen, speakers, and music for the people that gathered in the Independece Plaza. It seems that he was pretty confident that he would be free. Strangely enough, he repeatedly stated after his rescue, that his life was in danger and that there was a plot to kill him.
 
What was even more heartbreaking, was that after an hour of intense shooting between the armed forces and the rioting police members  (which was bravely covered by some journalists after the media was allowed to broadcast again), Correa´s followers celebrated his release,  as if the killing among Ecuadorians was something worth celebrating. Even worst, President Correa addressed the people with a belligerent speech, in which he assured that "it shall be no pardon, no forgetting". He accused members of the opposition without any proof of his affirmations. Once again, he used his speech to provoque, to challenge and to foster the division between Ecuadorians, instead of promoting peace, dialogue and forgiveness.
 
As an Ecuadorian citizen, I now wonder who is this person that now has control of my country. What can we expect from a President that celebrates the killing between Ecuadorians as a personal success? What can we expect from a person that acts on vengeance, looking for ways to make any conflict deeper instead of looking for a solution that may satisfy all parties involved?  I am convinced that misinformation was the reason why Correa was able to manipulate yesterday´s events. Therefore, it is very important that everybody knows what really happened. Please forward this to everyone that might be interested.
 
Support Ecuadorians, because we are not the people that are unfortunatedly are ruling our country today.

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