last news from sat 22.1 dear all, these are the English translations of some of the last press releases from Saturday 22.1 Spanish originals are at www.ainfos.ca and at www.amarc.org/pulsar L. Saturday 22, 2000, 1300hrs. Ecuador: The indigenous people decide to end the uprising and return to their respective provinces. By Marlon Carrión C. QUITO, Ecuador: The thousands of indigenous people and farm workers ended their protest and are preparing to return to their provinces. The indigenous people enacted along with the medium ranks of the Armed Forces of Ecuador a revolt against the government of Jamil Mahuad. The fall of the mandatary was obtained, but the revolt was betrayed by General Carlos Mendoza, who will be part of the Civic-Military Junta in place of Colonel Lucio Gutiérrez. The indigenous people did not leave Quito empty handed. They were able to obtain part of their demands even though the popular government they were after slipped away from their grasp. It is not known what will happen with the Popular Parliaments established in each of the country's provinces. What is clear is that the National Parliament of the Peoples of Ecuador was dissolved. None the less, the indigenous people said that they would remain attentive to the new government of Gustavo Noboa, vice president of Jamil Mahuad, whom after taking power promised to continue the economic policies of his predecessor. The popular sectors stated that the situation will not change, poverty will still be rampant, as well as unemployment and the escalade of prices on a general level. Leaders stated that the revolt against Jamil wasn't a heat of the moment thing, but more a normal process of the rejection of people amidst hunger and the injustices imposed by those who hold power. Surely the conditions prior to the civic and military uprising and revolt have not changed. "Dollarization" continues and wages have not risen, the lack of work positions is accentuated, the banks in bankruptcy continue with the help of the government with the money of Ecuadorians and the savings accounts of hundred-thousands of people, impoverished women, elderly and retirees, which continue frozen. (Ec/QR/Pi/Cs-Pp/mc) Saturday 22, 2000, 12h05m Ecuador: General Carlos Mendoza denounced Jamil Mahuad for intending to declare himself dictator. EQUITO, Ecuador.-General Carlos Mendoza, ex-member of the National Salvation Junta, denounced that defeated president, Jamil Mahuad, had planned to take all of the State's powers. Mendoza said that in order for this to happen Mahuad solicited the support of the Armed Forces. Mendoza stated that the Armed Forces denied any support to, what he also classified as, the ["buffoonery"] of Jamil Mahuad. He affirmed that in a recent reunion of Mahuad's cabinet, there was talks of having an anarchist regime ready. A proposal which was refused by Mendoza who immediately asked for his removal. Also, Gen. Mendoza clarified his refusal of heading the triumvirate which took power this Friday. He said that his refusal obeyed the pledge to attempt to avoid a civil war in the country. After hearing the thoughts of Antonio Vargas, leader of the indigenous people, who said that Mendoza had betrayed them, the general stated that this was only Vargas' opinion. Carlos Mendoza said that he is not detained, but if they summon him in front of the justice tribunals to respond for the occurrences of this Friday, he assume his responsibility. (Ec/QR/Mt/Pp/ap) Saturday 22, 2000, 03h10min Ecuador: Military falls back and accepts presidential succession. By Marlon Carrión C. QUITO, Ecuador: The High Command of the Armed Forces of Ecuador, with the support of whom would assume the leadership of the National Salvation Junta, general Carlos Mendoza, decided to give way to the presidential succession in favor of vice-president Gustavo Noboa Bejarano. When Mendoza renounced the Government Junta, the other two members of this junta exited the Palace of Government. The indigenous leader Antonio Vargas went to the National Parliament with his companions and the where abouts of ex-president of the Supreme Court of Justice, Carlos Solórzano are unknown. Gustavo Noboa assumed the presidency at the offices of the Ministry of Defense. He ratified all of the Armed Forces' high command, and promised strong sanctions against the insurrectionists and said that the State of National Emergency continues, and thus the constitutional guarantees still continue to be suspended. On another report, the present Ecuadorian mandate said that the "dollarization", the bank bailout and modernization, prompted by the deposed Jamil Mahuad, would continue without any impediments. (Ec/QR/Au/Pp/mc) Saturday, 22 January 2000 Ecuador: Mahuad gone, the economic model continues By Andres Canizalez This Saturday Ecuador awoke with a new President. The presidential succession occurred after a day of protest and the aborted installation of the Junta de Salvacion Nacional (Junta of National Salvation). Jamil Mahuad stepped down from the presidency but the economic model that generated his unpopularity still stands. Early this Saturday morning, Vice President Gustavo Noboa became the new Chief of State of Ecuador. He was named to this position in the Ministry of Defense with the backing of the high military command, who refused to acknowledge the Junta de Salvacion Nacional, which includes indigenous leaders and mid-level military commanders. In his first words, the now President Naboa emphasized that he will, for the most part, continue the economic policies of the deposed Mahuad. Specifically, dollarization continues, as well as financial assistance to banks that are insolvent and a 10-year plan to return their funds to people who had their savings in the financial institutions now in crisis. Naboa assured that the policy of "modernization" of the country has a social emphasis as well. The indigenous uprising that began two weeks ago and which served as a catalyst for the removal of Mahuad demands a radical change in economic policy. Ecuador, with a population of 12,000,000, is living through its worst crisis of the last century. In just a matter of months, poverty increased to an even higher level, inflation shot up and the local money, the sucre, lost its value. This dramatic picture of the Andean country, along with the announcement that the indigenous protests and popular movements will continue, place the new President in a difficult position. (Ec/Qr/Au-Mt/Pp-Pe/ac)