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2010/10/10 Greg McDonald <gregm...@gmail.com>: > Fred will be happy to know I will continue to post various sources and > perspectives on the events of september 30 in Ecuador. This one should > be more to his liking. Since I have no firm "position" on the > question, but am attempting to glean as much information as possible > from as many different sources as possible, different interpretations > of course continue to come forth. In this opinion by Long, we have > some unsubstantiated but interesting new information regarding events > at the airport. It has always seemed to me that it would be crucial to > discover whether or not elements of the military were lining up along > with the police, which would seem to give credence to a more > substantive "coup event". Two articles on the question which I posted > earlier indicate the Air force personnel were solely interested in an > economic resolution to their problem, and this still seems to be the > case. However, Long writes that shortly after Ponce resolved the > economic dispute with the Air force personnel and the situation had > returned to normal, some units of the Anti-Narcotics Police, "Closely > linked to the USA", writes the author, arrived at the airport and shut > it down again. I'll be looking for more sources to substantiate this > report. http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2010/10/06/index.php?section=mundo&article=023n1mun El jefe de la diplomacia ecuatoriana llamó la atención sobre el caso del aeropuerto, que fue tomado inicialmente por miembros de la fuerza aérea ecuatoriana y luego por policías antidrogas. "En la segunda ocasión se cerró por la unidad antinarcóticos de Ecuador, y por casualidad esa unidad antinarcóticos ha sido formada por oficiales estadunidenses por muchos años y ha tenido mucha relación con ellos", citó. Ok, just verified the account of the USA-backed anti-drug unit at the airport. Looks like a coordinated POLICE effort with possible USA support. Just noticed that Correa denounced the MPD and the UNE teachers union for bringing some students to protest in support of the police. The MPD views the police action as a legitimate labor dispute. (Don't take my head off on this Louis, I'm simply presenting the facts). I have a more nuanced view. Let us just say that the police have had legitimate grievances, that Correa was acting in good faith (apparently) to resolve those grievances through pay raises, and that there was plenty of impatience with the way in which the government was being perceived as having dragged its feet to change the salaries. There was also a disinformation campaign among the police misrepresenting the actual changes which were being made. The MPD is not backing down from their line in support of the police. I also read that about 50% of Ecuadorans don't accept the idea this was a coup attempt. A popular view is to contrast the demeanor and attitude of Defense minister Ponce with that of Correa. Ponce listened to the Air Force personnel, did not make a big show, did not bare his chest and provoke the police, etc. so Ponce was successful in quelling the takeover of the airport. Whereas, well, we all know what Correa did. Still no news of the CONAIE acting in support of the coup. CONAIE has not been mentioned in a single Ecuadoran newspaper report as having been in any way a protagonist or a supporter of the police coup. What a canard that turned out to be. Greg ________________________________________________ Send list submissions to: Marxism@lists.econ.utah.edu Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
