- Title: Ecuadorans bang pots and pans in protest as Moreno seeks calm in restive Quito
- Date: 13th October 2019
- Summary: QUITO, ECUADOR (OCTOBER 12, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF AREAS OF QUITO WHERE SOUNDS OF BANGING POTS AND PANS ARE HEARD TO PROTEST GOVERNMENT AUSTERITY MEASURES
- Embargoed: 27th October 2019 04:12
- Keywords: Ecuador Venezuela former president Rafael Correa President Nicolas Maduro protests President Lenin Moreno pots and pans Quito protesters austerity
- Location: QUITO + GUAYAQUIL, ECUADOR
- City: QUITO + GUAYAQUIL, ECUADOR
- Country: Ecuador
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Civil Unrest,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA001B0XID6V
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: AUDIO AS INCOMING
The sound of banging pots and pans rang out from homes across Quito on Saturday (October 12) to protest austerity measures in Ecuador, after a curfew was placed in the capital amidst violent demonstrations.
The highland capital of Quito was rocked by a 10th day of clashes over President Lenin Moreno's austerity plan. Moreno has ordered a military-backed curfew in Quito and surrounding valleys starting at 3 p.m. (2000 GMT), blaming the violence on extremists whom he said had infiltrated protests and foreign political forces such as Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro and Europe-based former president Rafael Correa.
Before the curfew was imposed, downtown Quito resembled a war zone as plumes of tear gas clouded streets littered with bricks. Small fires burned and groups of people huddled behind walls and makeshift barricades for protection.
President Lenin Moreno's decision to end a decades old fuel subsidy ignited the unrest. He has said the measure was necessary to reduce the country's fiscal deficit after he signed a multi-billion dollar loan deal with the International Monetary Fund.
But on Saturday, he said he would assess a decree that slashed fuel subsidies with the indigenous and social groups that have led protests against it, but did not indicate he planned to repeal it.
Moreno added in a televised message to the nation that a "good part" of Quito was calm after he imposed a military-enforced curfew in the highland capital amid clashes between police and protesters.
(Production: Ignacio Munoz, Cristina Munoz, Paul Vieira) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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