|
|
travel
news review
17
March '99
Banks finally reopened on Monday,
10 days after the government mandated a closure of all financial institutions
to halt an increasing stream of withdrawals across the country. Faced
with an increasingly shaky economy, President Jamil Mahuad has declared
a 60 day state of emergency across the nation, increased the power of
the police force to maintain peace, and announced a series of severe measures
designed to bring the country back from the brink of financial collapse.
In response to the financial austerity measures, the unions called a two
day strike, closing businesses and disrupting transport. Taxi drivers,
also affected by the stringent austerity measures, which call for huge
increases in the price of gas, are protesting by blocking major roads
with burning tires in Quito and Guayaquil.
27
November '98
Rumblings are being heard throughout Latin America as more volcanoes come
to life. In Mexico, a recent eruption from Volcan de Fuego de Colima in
the state of Colima has forced local officials to evacuate residents of
Juan Barragan. In Nicaragua, the federal government has issued a volcano
alert for both Concepcion, on the Isla de Ometepe in Lago de Nicaragua,
and Cerro el Jicote.
In the rainy aftermath of Hurricane Mitch, a landslide at Volcan Casita
buried several villages, accounting for a large portion of the casualties.
And in Ecuador, the Guagua Pichincha volcano, outside the capital, Quito,
is still letting off periodic explosions which are getting stronger and
more intense.
|
