Ecuador to Declare Emergency, Oil Production Falls

Ecuador’s government will declare a state of emergency in two Amazon provinces where protests have cut crude oil production by state-owned Petroecuador to 29,400 barrels per day from the usual 201,000 bpd, officials said on Wednesday.

Interior Minister Mauricio Gandara said the state of emergency will be declared by President Alfredo Palacio. Under a state of emergency the rights to free association and expression could be restricted and security forces would be allowed to retake control of oil fields.
Reuters