DATE=1/27/2000
TYPE=WORLD OPINION ROUNDUP
TITLE=SHORT-LIVED COUP IN ECUADOR
NUMBER=6-11654
BYLINE=ANDREW GUTHRIE
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
TELEPHONE=619-3335
CONTENT=
INTRO: The coup in Ecuador last Friday, which saw
President Jamil Mahuad deposed in favor of his vice
president, is drawing a good deal of comment from
throughout the hemisphere and around the globe.
We get a sampling now from ___________ in this week's
World Opinion Roundup.
TEXT: A large group of Ecuador's Indians took over
the Parliament in Quito last Friday, and with the
support of some military leaders, demanded that
President Mahuad resign.
The President tried to consolidate his power with a
nationwide television address from an Air Force base
near the capital, but that failed. He then
relinquished whatever power he had left, to a civil-
military junta. Within hours, however, the chief of
Ecuador's military withdrew his support for the coup,
in response to rapid and vigorous criticism from the
international community. Vice President Gustavo Noboa
was quickly sworn in as President.
Latin American editorial columns are expressing a good
deal of criticism at this latest coup, suggesting that
the continent's move toward democratic, civilian
government has been damaged. Many dailies remind
readers that military coups are the "old" South
American methods of solving problems, a method no
longer acceptable to many.
We begin our sampling in Quito, Ecuador, where Hoy had
this comment on the events.
VOICE: The adventure the indigenous leadership engaged
in has left its movement exposed to the same
harsh critics. They have surrendered all their
weapons to their detractors. The argument that
they attempted a coup will repeat itself over
and over again. The twist of the indigenous
leadership in the last few weeks is
incomprehensible. Why pit the Indians against
democracy when their movement has grown and
become legitimate in a democracy?
TEXT: Across town, the leading daily El Comercio
praised ousted President Mahuad.
VOICE: The coup - - which luckily failed- - has
changed some scenarios in Ecuador: a)
[President] Mahuad exited the front door. His
decision to not resign and his last message to
the country as president placed him where he
must feel comfortable: a president toppled by a
military coup, a brave man who knew how to
defend his principles b) CONAIE (Confederation
of Ecuadorian Indigenous Nationalities)
weakened: the indigenous movement is the biggest
loser in this failed coup, along with its
allies, the social movements... e) the military
is against the wall: ... First, because they
were divided while the top commanding officials
ignored this troublesome reality. Then, because
they lost ... valuable men.
TEXT: In nearby Argentina, La Nacion in Buenos Aires
editorialized about the underlying causes for the
coup:
VOICE: Everything seems to indicate that the
confusing events ... in Ecuador will not disrupt
its democratic continuity, and it is even
announced that the leaders of the coup will be
subject to trial. But that should not lead us
to ignore the deep social crisis underlying the
political events..
/// OPT ///
TEXT: Turning to Bolivia, the church-owned daily
Presencia ran this commentary:
VOICE: We all knew that an indigenous uprising
against the `establishment' was being generated.
The unpredictable factor was the military
participation in the coup. The causes? The
economic crisis that the [former] government ...
didn't understand or couldn't overcome, the
`dollarization' only in favor of the powerful,
the fixing of savings accounts and trusts, the
ample corruption. Last but not least, the
abysmal social-economic differences - - a remote
but sustained cause - repeated in all of Latin
America.
TEXT: In Chile, the big Santiago daily La Tercera was
upset by the resurgence of a coup in the region:
VOICE: The president of Ecuador ... has become the
first constitutional president in South America
to be ousted by the military since 1980 ... The
emergence of a coup shows the institutional
fragility of some Latin American democracies ...
However, the international community's rejection
of the coup must stand as a lesson... In today's
world there is no place for abuses.
TEXT: In the Caribbean, El Nacional in Santo Domingo,
The Dominican Republic, leaves no doubt as to where it
stands.
VOICE: No matter how hateful [his] economic policy
was and how heartfelt were the requests of
popular groups, the coup d'etat that just
happened in Ecuador ... deserves the strongest
[condemnation]...
/// END OPT ///
TEXT: In Peru, Lima's El Comercio had this assessment:
VOICE: What Ecuador really needs is an economic
stabilization program, although it seems that a
certain sector of the Ecuadorian people is not
ready to accept this. It is indispensable that
Ecuador find a democratic solution to this
crisis in order to guarantee the security of our
continent...
TEXT: For a Spanish reaction, we check in with
Madrid's El Pais, which suggests:
VOICE: Ecuador, a failed state, has been on the point
of collapse for months. The social unrest that
culminated in the occupation of the congress
building by throngs of native people backed by
certain military units, has only continued to
grow in a nation prostrated by a combination of
political and economic disasters that has left
two-thirds of its 12-million inhabitants in
grinding poverty...
TEXT: In Russia, Izvestiya from Moscow opines that
Ecuador must reduce its indebetedness:
VOICE: Ecuador has no choice - - it has to solve the
debt problem, if its economy is to survive. So
it has to maintain good relations with the
United States, its main creditor. There is no
doubt in anybody's mind in Ecuador that the
military had to accept [Mr.] Noboa in the face
of U-S pressure.
TEXT: Turning to Germany, Munich's big Sueddeutsche
Zeitung says the outlook in Ecuador is not promising.
VOICE: Vice president Noboa is now assuming a
difficult job, since the political scenario has
not changed. The Economy is in a slump, and the
parties represented in parliament will be
difficult to convince to pursue for a brief
period of time the congruent policy for the
benefit of the country... Over the past few
years, many Latin American countries tried to
modernize their economies, but Ecuador failed
... due to the controversies among the parties
TEXT: And briefly, in Asia, China's Beijing Daily
suggests:
VOICE: Blunder in economic policy and failure to
secure the support of the military are believed
to be the two major factors contributing to
Ecuadorian President ... Mahuad's stepping down.
TEXT: While in Japan's commercial center, Tokyo's
Asahi opined:
VOICE: The coup followed days of protest by
impoverished highland Indians against [Mr.]
Mahuad's economic policy. The politically-
influential military took advantage of the
protest movement to depose the president. The
question is whether or how newly-installed
President Noboa will be able to settle the post-
coup chaos and launch a new democratic
government.
TEXT: With those thoughts from Tokyo's Asahi, one of
the world's largest dailies, we conclude this World
Opinion roundup on the recent coup in Ecuador.
NEB/ANG/gm
27-Jan-2000 16:54 PM EDT (27-Jan-2000 2154 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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