Ecuador oil protesters call truce and agree to talk

[bemildred]

QUITO, Ecuador (Reuters) - Leaders of protests that shut down Ecuador's oil industry over the last week agreed to temporarily halt their attacks and negotiate with the government after they were freed from jail, officials said on Sunday.

"Our people are still on alert, but, yes, there is a truce," Edmundo Espindola, mayor of the western town of Shushufindi and a protest organiser not among those who had been jailed, told Reuters.

The army confirmed that organisers of the protests had been freed and that dozens remained behind bars pending the outcome of the talks.

Reuters

[bemildred]

1. Ecuador: Venezuela Pledges Oil Loan;Sun Output 54,400 Bbl

QUITO -(Dow Jones)- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Saturday promised an oil loan to Ecuador to help it meet export commitments after violent protests last week disrupted output in a key producing region. Meanwhile, state oil company Petroecuador (PCD.YY) reported early Sunday that the country's crude output was up 64% from the preceding day.

"Now, we have a level of 54,400 barrels of crude", Energy Minister Ivan Rodriguez told Dow Jones Newswires Sunday. Petroecuador's normal level of output is around 201,000 barrels a day of crude.

Also, "President Hugo Chavez Saturday afternoon called President Alfredo Palacio promising the loan," presidential spokesman Andres Seminario said Sunday without providing further details.

http://money.iwon.com/jsp/nw/nwdt_rt_top.jsp?cat=TOPBIZ&src=704&feed=dji§ion=news&news_id=dji-00023720050821&date=20050821&alias=/alias/money/cm/nw

[1932]

2. America uses its loans to control countries. To have Venezuela step in:

means that the US can't control Ecuador.

[bemildred]

3. Chavez is simply giving Palacios more time, to avoid bloodshed.

Better they should work things out in an orderly fashion.
Chaos and violence do not serve the interests of Ecuador or its people.

[1932]

4. According to Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, it's the US loan which is

the root of all subsequent problems.

Chavez may be buying time for Ecuador, but he's also making sure the first domino that leads to American domination and empire doesn't fall.

[bemildred]

5. I'm not disputing you Sir.

Just pointing out that Chavez is not doing anything in particular about the IMF loans etc., he's just letting them borrow some oil.

[1932]

6. Did I read too quickly? I thought it was a loan to develop oil fields.

Its the development contracts that are the noose around countries' necks.

I'll go back and read the article again. My apologies if I read the story wrong.

I know that Venezuela is entering into oil fields development contracts with other countries, so although the logic might not apply to this situation, in other situations Venezuela is pulling up American soft imperialism at the roots, rather than at the buds.

[bemildred]

7. No problem. nt

[maddezmom]

8. Venezuela to lend Ecuador crude oil - Chavez

HAVANA (Reuters) - Venezuela will lend Ecuador crude oil cost-free to cover exports crippled by protests against Ecuador's state-owned oil company, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Sunday.

Chavez gave no details on the amount of crude involved in announcing the deal on his weekly television show, which was aired live from the town of Sandino with Cuban President Fidel Castro standing by his side.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ali Rodriguez said there would be a meeting in Caracas on Monday to study the request and the availability of Venezuelan crude.

Disturbances and attacks on pipelines in oil fields in the Amazon provinces of Sucumbios and Orellana forced Ecuador to declare a state of emergency last week and state-owned Petroecuador had to shut down production.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050821/wl_nm/ecuador_dc

[wli]

9. so the Ecuadorian army is holding hostages... no surprise n/t