ECUADOR MINISTER RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT DEBT
ecuador is considering measures for
dealing with its foreign debt following the earthquake that
killed 300 people, left 4,000 homeless and cost the country
close to a billion dollars, information minister marco lara
told reuters.
    "the government's position ... is to honour the (debt)
commitments, but without sacrificing the country, because first
we have to survive and later we can comply," lara said.
    He said the nation would later announce plans to deal with
the country's 8.16-billion-dlr foreign debt.
    The government has estimated the economic cost of the
earthquake last thursday night at nearly one billion dlrs,
including oil revenues lost because an oil pipeline was
damaged.
     The president of the ecuadorean Red Cross, hugo merino,
told reuters the official toll of 300 dead and 4,000 missing
could rise as rescue workers inspect stricken sites from
helicopters and wade through mud to reach victims in the four
northeastern provinces hardest hit.
 Reuter
