Ecuador extends state of emergency in capital

[Zorro]

<snip>

Authorities in Ecuador on Saturday extended a state of emergency indefinitely, an action that mobilizes the military to be in charge of securing the country instead of the police.

The extension comes after President Rafael Correa was attacked by police on September 30. The decree in the capital city of Quito was scheduled to expire Friday.

Troops rescued Correa in a dramatic shootout with officers at a hospital, where Correa said he was held for more than 10 hours.

Police officers have said they were angered by a new law that would take away their bonuses and reduce their compensation. Correa, who was roughed up and hit by tear gas, said the law would do no such thing and the police officers had not read it. He described the events as an attempted coup.

<snip>

More at: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/10/10/ecuador.curfew.extension/index.html?section=cnn_latest

[bemildred]

1. Obama Renews Bush's 9/11 State of Emergency

On September 10th, President Obama reinstituted the national State of Emergency first declared by George W. Bush on September 14, 2001 by placing the following language in the Federal Register.

The terrorist threat that led to the declaration on September 14, 2001, of a national emergency continues. For this reason, I have determined that it is necessary to continue in effect after September 14, 2009, the national emergency with respect to the terrorist threat.

As Dr. Harold C. Relyea, a specialist in national government with the Congressional Research Service (CRS) of the Library of Congress, has written, “when the President formally declares a national emergency, he may seize property, organize and control the means of production, seize commodities, assign military forces abroad, institute martial law, seize and control all transportation and communication, regulate the operation of private enterprise, restrict travel, and, in a variety of ways, control the lives of United States citizens.”

Yet, while Dr. Relyea opines that Congress and the judiciary, as well as public opinion, “can restrain the executive regarding emergency powers,” nothing of the sort has occurred.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/16-2

One year ago today.

[bemildred]

2. ECUADOR - Obama Expresses Support for Correa

During his telephone call, Obama highlighted the importance of resolving any tensions in Ecuador's democratic and constitutional order. This conversation comes just days after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke by telephone with President Correa to express her support for him. Meanwhile, Correa declared in a statement to journalists that "the U.S. had nothing to do with . On the contrary, they acted with solidarity and Hillary Clinton herself called me." Ecuador is presently in a state of emergency after the nation's police revolted last Thursday protesting the approval of the Public Service Law.

http://www.poder360.com/dailynews_detail.php?blurbid=9426

[bemildred]

3. Boehner: U.S. House Is in a 'State of Emergency'

Washington (CNSNews.com) – House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Thursday that the House of Representatives is in “a state of emergency” due to rules that discourage debate and foster corruption.

In a policy speech at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C., Boehner observed that the House is no longer able to follow the will of the American people.

“The House finds itself in a state of emergency,” Boehner said. “The institution does not function, does not deliberate, and seems incapable of acting on the will of the American people.”

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/76090

[Zorro]

4. It's not too surprising

If I were Correa, I'd probably do the same thing.

The police reputedly are notoriously corrupt, and the military a bit less so. But the military have bigger guns.

[Peace Patriot]

5. I would surmise that the government has to be completely confident in the allegiance of

the police forces to lawful, legitimate government, before it can rescind the state of emergency and trust public order to the police. This police insurrection was almost as threatening to legitimate government as a military coup would have been. The military stayed loyal to the elected government, and so the coup failed. But there is hardly a more serious existential threat to a country and its legitimate government than to have the enforcers of the law try to kill the president, riot against him and harm him, besiege a hospital (a hospital!) where he was being treated, and everything else they did--shutting down airports, surrounding and shutting down the National Assembly, etc. I think it will be months before they can feel secure in the police forces. As for the coup plotters, they are only as strong as their operatives within the police--or wherever else they are planted--and I trust that some serious investigative efforts are going forward to identify and disable all such operatives. I hope they are successful.