Deposed president flees Ecuador

OUSTED President Lucio Gutierrez left Ecuador aboard a Brazilian air force plane yesterday, flying to exile in Brazil four days after he was toppled at the end of a week of massive street protests.

Gutierrez left with his family after being whisked out of the Brazilian ambassador’s residence before dawn.

Though there had been fears of violence, none was reported as Gutierrez left the ambassador’s residence, where he had been besieged by angry protesters much of the time since Congress voted to remove him from office on Wednesday.

Ecuador’s new government said on Friday that it would let Gutierrez go to Brazil, where he has been granted political asylum. But the decision angered many Ecuadoreans, who said Gutierrez should be tried for alleged abuse of power, corruption and repression of peaceful protests.

The political crisis was the latest in a long history of political instability in the country of 12.5 million people.

Since 1997, three presidents have been driven from office in Ecuador.

The growing tension between Ecuador and Brazil came as the Organisation of American States decided to send a high-level diplomatic delegation to investigate whether Gutierrez’s removal was constitutional.

So far, no country has recognised the new government as legitimate.