Weekly Report - 12 July 2005

Five days of traffic halted by roadblocks on all main highways and escalating protest actions led by local authorities in the western coastal province of Manabí­ led the government of President Alfredo Palacio to opt for concession rather than risk a potentially risky confrontation. This involved sidelining his interior minister, Mauricio Gándara, and entrusting the solution to Economy Minister Rafael Correa.