Attempted coup in Ecuador ends in violent rescue of president

The day before yesterday, life was normal in Ecuador. But by this morning, the country had plunged into chaos.

Ecuador is under a state of siege this morning after an attempted coup against President Rafael Correa failed on Thursday. The nation’s police force trapped Correa in a hospital, where he was being treated after they shot him with water pellets and tear gas, as well as shut down highways and the international airport in the capital city of Quito. The police were revolting over new austerity measures that slashed benefits for public servants.

Correa was saved by the military in a dramatic overnight rescue. Twenty-seven of the president’s bodyguards were injured, and at least three people have been reported dead. This morning, in the wake of the unrest, the country remains under marshal order, and Correa has pledged a “deep cleansing of the national police.”

For the latest, we speak to journalist and TV director Tomas Ciuffardi, of Ecuavisa News television, who is on the ground in Quito.