Ecuador Revolts

A clash between rival political groups in the Ecuadorean port of Guayaquil left two people dead as the nation prepared for Sunday's election, authorities said. An Information Ministry spokesman said a fight broke out between sympathizers of presidential nominees Rodrigo Borja, a Social Democrat law professor, and Abdala Bucaram, a Populist former mayor of Guayaquil, and shots were fired, killing a supporter of each candidate.

Ecuador's top military commanders have offered to resign, four months after the high command refused to put down an abortive rebellion that toppled the president, officials said. Gen. Telmo Sandoval, head of the joint chiefs of staff, Vice Adm. Enrique Monteverde, head of the navy, and air force Gen. Ricardo Irgoyen presented their resignations Monday. The military-backed uprising Jan. 21 led to the ouster of President Jamil Mahuad, who was succeeded by Gustavo Noboa.

Ecuador's top military commanders have offered to resign, four months after the high command refused to put down an abortive rebellion that toppled the president, officials said. Gen. Telmo Sandoval, head of the joint chiefs of staff, Vice Adm. Enrique Monteverde, head of the navy, and air force Gen. Ricardo Irgoyen presented their resignations Monday. The military-backed uprising Jan. 21 led to the ouster of President Jamil Mahuad, who was succeeded by Gustavo Noboa.

Ecuadorean authorities have arrested four colonels and 12 lieutenant colonels and detained hundreds of other officers for their alleged roles in the uprising that led to President Jamil Mahuad's overthrow, officials said. Gen. Telmo Sandoval, who ascended to armed forces commander in last week's power shuffle, confirmed the arrests of Cols. Lucio Gutierrez, Fausto Cobo, Gustavo Lalama and Jorge Brito.

President Leon Febres Cordero said Saturday that the renegade air force troops who took him captive kicked, punched, insulted and threatened "to take me out and shoot me" until he agreed to free his chief military rival from prison. In a dramatic recounting of his 12-hour captivity Friday, after two of his bodyguards died in a shoot-out, the president said he defied the rebels to kill him, then signed an amnesty for retired air force Gen.

Air force troopers seized President Leon Febres Cordero in a bloody uprising Friday but released him 12 hours later in exchange for the freedom of a jailed rebel general. Newspapers reported at least two men killed and eight others wounded during the abduction at the country's largest air base as about 20 rebel paratroopers opened fire on the civilian president and his 10 bodyguards as they arrived for a ceremony. The president was not seriously hurt.

The Ecuadorean air force Wednesday disbanded the paratroop commando unit that kidnaped President Luis Febres Cordero last week, and the attorney general launched a criminal investigation of the unit's 150 members. The actions were taken despite the president's written pledge, as a condition for his release, that there would be no disciplinary or legal action against the rebels.

The cashiered air force commander who was freed from prison in exchange for Ecuador's kidnaped president has left a military base here and gone into hiding because he fears for his safety, his brothers said Sunday. Retired Gen. Frank Vargas Pazos abandoned the Taura air base in a jeep with an unidentified woman companion and two rebel air force corporals Saturday afternoon, the base commander said.

Ecuadorean authorities have arrested four colonels and 12 lieutenant colonels and detained hundreds of other officers for their alleged roles in the uprising that led to President Jamil Mahuad's overthrow, officials said. Gen. Telmo Sandoval, who ascended to armed forces commander in last week's power shuffle, confirmed the arrests of Cols. Lucio Gutierrez, Fausto Cobo, Gustavo Lalama and Jorge Brito.

Ecuador's long-simmering political and economic troubles boiled over into crisis Friday as the military demanded the resignation of President Jamil Mahuad and declared a three-person "government junta" in charge. Mahuad vowed that he would remain in office but then took refuge at an air force base with his government apparently having collapsed. Defense Minister Gen.

In a compromise that avoided a return to military rule, Ecuador's vice president took the helm of this Andean nation Saturday, ending a political crisis sparked by an alliance of indigenous protesters and junior officers. Gustavo Noboa became the troubled country's sixth president in four years after top-ranking officers, facing international pressure, refused to permit a civilian-military triumvirate that had announced it was taking power Friday.

Ecuador's long-simmering political and economic troubles boiled over into crisis Friday as the military demanded the resignation of President Jamil Mahuad and declared a three-person "government junta" in charge. Mahuad vowed that he would remain in office but then took refuge at an air force base with his government apparently having collapsed. Defense Minister Gen.

A clash between rival political groups in the Ecuadorean port of Guayaquil left two people dead as the nation prepared for Sunday's election, authorities said. An Information Ministry spokesman said a fight broke out between sympathizers of presidential nominees Rodrigo Borja, a Social Democrat law professor, and Abdala Bucaram, a Populist former mayor of Guayaquil, and shots were fired, killing a supporter of each candidate.

The Ecuadorean air force Wednesday disbanded the paratroop commando unit that kidnaped President Luis Febres Cordero last week, and the attorney general launched a criminal investigation of the unit's 150 members. The actions were taken despite the president's written pledge, as a condition for his release, that there would be no disciplinary or legal action against the rebels.

The cashiered air force commander who was freed from prison in exchange for Ecuador's kidnaped president has left a military base here and gone into hiding because he fears for his safety, his brothers said Sunday. Retired Gen. Frank Vargas Pazos abandoned the Taura air base in a jeep with an unidentified woman companion and two rebel air force corporals Saturday afternoon, the base commander said.

President Leon Febres Cordero said Saturday that the renegade air force troops who took him captive kicked, punched, insulted and threatened "to take me out and shoot me" until he agreed to free his chief military rival from prison. In a dramatic recounting of his 12-hour captivity Friday, after two of his bodyguards died in a shoot-out, the president said he defied the rebels to kill him, then signed an amnesty for retired air force Gen.

In a compromise that avoided a return to military rule, Ecuador's vice president took the helm of this Andean nation Saturday, ending a political crisis sparked by an alliance of indigenous protesters and junior officers. Gustavo Noboa became the troubled country's sixth president in four years after top-ranking officers, facing international pressure, refused to permit a civilian-military triumvirate that had announced it was taking power Friday.

Air force troopers seized President Leon Febres Cordero in a bloody uprising Friday but released him 12 hours later in exchange for the freedom of a jailed rebel general. Newspapers reported at least two men killed and eight others wounded during the abduction at the country's largest air base as about 20 rebel paratroopers opened fire on the civilian president and his 10 bodyguards as they arrived for a ceremony. The president was not seriously hurt.