UPDATE: 11:26pm EDT -- We continue to monitor the situation in Ecuador, but report that soldiers returned Ecuador's president to the presidential palace after more than 12 hours trapped in a police hospital in Quito.

Following a coordinated protest by police across Ecuador earlier
 today, President Rafael Correa remains sequestered in the police
 hospital in the capital city of Ecuador. Citizens are demonstrating in
 the city centre and outside of the hospital to demand Correa's freedom 
and the maintenance of democratic and constitutional order in the
country. Police are reportedly attacking the demonstration near the
 hospital with heavy use of tear gas.



The government maintains that it will not negotiate with the police 
until the President has been freed and have been denouncing the 
measure as an attempted coup. The government alleges that sectors of
the Ecuadorian right wing, such as ex-President Lucio Gutierrez who 
was deposed in a popular coup d'etat in April 2005, are behind today's
 events. While the situation remains tense in the nation's capital,
 police are reported to have largely gone back to work in other parts
 of the country.

A report from the Latin American Information Agency
 about today's events has been translated and is available by clicking here. 

Civil society organizations, such as the Confederation of Indigenous 
Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) and the National Confederation of 
Campesino, Indigenous and Black Organizations (FENOCIN) along with
other sectors, are denouncing today's events. The CONAIE, which has
 had a difficult relationship with the government of President Correa
 in past years given differences over extractive industry expansion and
 other state reforms, states that despite tensions over the country's
 process of change they “will defend democracy and the rights of the
 people” and “reject the actions of the right that in an undercover way
 form part of the attempted coup d'état.”

Their full press release is
 available as an unofficial translation by clicking here.

 The Organization of American States has made a call to governments and multilateral institutions in the region to "stop the coup d'etat from becoming a reality" and urged them to act "in a unanimous way" rejecting any attempt to alter democratic order in Ecuador.

Statements from the US Department of State and Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs have also come out. The US has urged Ecuadorians “to work within the framework of Ecuador’s democratic institutions to reach a rapid and peaceful restoration of order," whereas Canada has said that "it is concerned about growing unrest" and reiterated "support for the democratically elected government of the Republic of Ecuador."

SEND AN EMAIL IN SOLIDARITY!

Expressions of solidarity with the people of Ecuador may be sent
 to the following organizations:



ALAI, Latin American Information Agency,  alai_ec@yahoo.com and alai@alainet.org



FENOCIN, the National Confederation of Campesino, Indigenous and Black
 Organizations, fenocin@fenocin.org



CONAIE, the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador,
info@conaie.org



cc: Ecuador Solidarity Network ecuadorsolidaritynetwork@gmail.com

TAKE ACTION IN CANADA!

For Canadian residents who are concerned about today's
events, Canada is an important investor in Ecuador's nascent metallic
 mining sector and should also add their voice to denunciations of
 today's events. The Canadian Minister of State of Foreign Affairs for 
the Americas, the Honourable Peter Kent visited Ecuador at the end of 
August when he stated that “By strengthening relationships and working 
with key countries, such as Panama and Ecuador, Canada continues to
advance democratic governance, prosperity and security throughout the
 hemisphere.”

Minister Kent should also stand behind his words and
 explicitly reject any attempt to overthrow the democratically elected 
administration of President Rafael Correa and disrupt Ecuador's
 democratic order. Please find contacts to which you can direct your 
concerns below.

For Canadian citizens who are concerned about today's events, please
 consider writing to the Canadian Ambassador in Ecuador and Minister
 Peter Kent:



Ambassador Andrew Shisko, 
Embassy of Canada in Ecuador


Av. Amazonas 4153 and Unión Nacional de Periodistas, 
Eurocenter Building, 3rd Floor


P.O. Box 17-11-6512
Quito - Ecuador


quito@international.gc.ca



Honourable Peter Kent, Minister of State of Foreign Affairs

(Americas)
110 Justice Building, 
House of Commons, 
Ottawa, Ontario 
K1A 0A6
Phone: (613) 992-0253 Fax: (613) 992-0887
 Email: kentp@parl.gc.ca

TAKE ACTION IN THE US!

For U.S. residents who are concerned about today's events, please
 consider taking action and write U.S. officials. Secretary of State 
Hillary Clinton has already released a statement in support of 
President Correa. It is important that the U.S. government take a
strong stand in support of democracy in Ecuador:



To contact the State Department:
Fax: 202-647-0834, Voice: 202 647-4000



To contact Senators and Representatives:


http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm


https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml



Dr. Arturo Valenzuela, Assist. Sec. of State for Western Hemisphere
 Affairs: ValenzuelaAA@state.gov and WHAAsstSecty@State.gov;

Ambassador
 Craig Kelly, Principal Deputy Asst./ Secretary, Western Office of
Hemisphere Affairs: KellyC@state.gov (Fax: 202-647-0834)



To contact the White House: 
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact and White House Comment Line 202-456-1414



cc: Ecuador Solidarity Network ecuadorsolidaritynetwork@gmail.com