Ecuadorean troops took control of government buildings in two Amazon provinces and reinforced security at oil wells on Thursday as they moved to quell protests that have slashed crude production, a senior officer said according to Reuters. Acting after President Alfredo Palacio declared a state of emergency in the provinces of Sucumbios and Orellana late on Wednesday, security forces fired tear gas at protesters in the eastern jungle city of Lago Agrio, in images shown on local television. Ecuador's crude oil output has fallen by 63 percent to 198,000 barrels per day since protesters invaded oil camps, sabotaged equipment and blocked highways on Monday, state-owned Petroecuador and a private producers' association said on Thursday. The disturbances, which are throttling the country's principal source of export income, are the worst faced by Palacio since he came to power in April. Palacio was appointed after Congress fired President Lucio Gutierrez during mass protests against his interference with the Supreme Court. --more 2345 Local Time 2045 GMT
