MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Ecuadorian military increasingly uneasy

Ecuadorian Armed Forces high command met urgently over the weekend to analyze the possible scenarios following the announced return of ousted president Lucio Gutierrez, a former Colonel, who apparently is planning to walk across from neighbouring Peru.

The meeting added to the political confusion of the oil rich country since the Armed Forces have made no comments since last April when the fall of former Colonel Gutierrez in spite of the fact they tacitly contributed by accepting the new president, until that moment vicepresident Alfredo Palacio.

The military also considered the current political turmoil caused by the three days protests before Government House in downtown Quito in support of Economy minister Rafael Correa who resigned alleging "foreign" influence and interests in determining the country's economic and financial affairs.

People in the streets, backed by grass root and Indian organizations are openly rejecting president Palacio who they feel "has given in" to "imperialist pressure".

The situation was described by a military spokesperson as one of "alert".

Mr. Correa a declared admirer of Venezuela president Hugo Chavez and his "social policies" financed with oil funds alleged he resigned because current authorities were forgetting "their commitment to the people of Ecuador".

The situation became even more surprising when it was revealed that the Executive had removed President Palacio's aide de camp, Colonel Fausto Bravo who, with a group of Special Forces actually protected the president when he was nominated by Congress.

But Colonel Bravo also participated in an uprising, January 2000, which ousted elected president Jamil Mahuad. The leader of the uprising was Colonel Gutierrez who then became full involved in politics and was later elected president.

When elected president Gutierez was forced out of office and flown to Brazil, Congress made him responsible for several killings during street repression by Special Forces and there's an arrest warrant as soon as he steps Ecuadorian soil.

Press reports in Quito indicate a growing uneasiness in the Armed Forces among higher officers dissatisfied with recent promotions, although the current Minister of Defence has repeatedly denied the rumours.

Ecuador has a very weak and atomized political party system extremely exposed favouring a divided Congress which makes managing an effective ruling coalition a titanic task for any president, or means squandering budget resources in pork barrel projects.

The military as in several other Latinamerican endemically unstable countries have tried to keep out of politics, only loyal to democratic institutions and the country's unity.