- Title: Ecuador protests intensify amidst teargas and smoke
- Date: 12th October 2019
- Summary: QUITO, ECUADOR (OCTOBER 12, 2019) (REUTERS) PROTESTER PICKING UP SMOKING TEAR GAS CANISTER AND THROWING IT IN DIRECTION OF POLICE, PROTESTER PUTTING CRATE ON FIERY STREET BARRICADE ARMOURED VEHICLE OUT ON STREET VARIOUS OF TEAR GAS FIRED FROM VEHICLE DEBRIS ON STREET, ARMOURED VEHICLE ON STREET, FIREBALL FALLING ON ARMOURED VEHICLE PROTESTERS OUT ON STREET PROTESTERS OUT ON STREET, RUNNING AMIDST SMOKE FROM TEAR GAS DARK SMOKE IN THE AIR ABOVE PROTESTERS POLICE OFFICERS ARRIVING ON GROUNDS OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OFFICERS ESCORTED PROTESTERS FROM SITE OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OFFICERS AT STREET CORNER, OFFICER LIFTS GUN TO FIRE TEAR GAS CANISTER PROTESTERS NEAR FIERY BARRICADE
- Embargoed: 26th October 2019 21:01
- Keywords: Quito Ecuador protests President Lenin Moreno
- Location: QUITO, ECUADOR
- City: QUITO, ECUADOR
- Country: Ecuador
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Civil Unrest,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA001B0SKT3B
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Protesters and riot police exchanged rocks and tear gas in the Ecuadoran capital of Quito on Saturday (October 12), as public anger over austerity measures grow.
President Lenin Moreno has repeatedly refused to overturn a law that ended a four-decade old fuel subsidy last week, describing it as a key part of his efforts to reduce the country's fiscal deficit after he signed a $4.2 billion loan deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
But opponents say higher fuel prices have pushed up the cost of many consumer goods, hitting indigenous and poor people the hardest.
The unrest has led Moreno's government to flee the capital for a safer city on the coast and curbed nearly 900,000 barrels of crude production in the OPEC-member nation.
Police were seen rounding up protesters at the country's National Assembly. Earlier this week, demonstrators broke into the legislative building to denounce the government.
By Friday (October 11), at least four protesters have died and hundreds have been wounded and arrested.
(Production: Ignacio Munoz, Cristina Munoz) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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