Protesters, Police Clash Near Oil Fields in Ecuador

Scores of police and protesters have been injured in clashes around the facilities of a Chinese oil company in the eastern Ecuadorian province of Orellana, authorities and human rights activists said Wednesday.

The confrontations began late last week, when residents in the Amazonian province launched protests over PetroOriental’s alleged failure to deliver benefits promised to local communities.


Ecuador’s acting minister of energy and mining, Jorge Alban, told reporters that 27 soldiers and police have been wounded by pellets fired by shotgun-wielding protesters, but rights organizations say the aggression began with the security forces.

The activists said that a score of residents of the town of Dayuma were injured last weekend by the forces sent to contain their protests.

Efe