Ecuadorans on Wednesday staged strikes against a proposed trade deal with the United States and demanded cancellation of an oil contract with a U.S. company.

Demonstrators, including workers, students, peasants and members of indigenous groups, blocked main roads through central Quito Wednesday morning.

They protested against the government's trade talks next Monday with U.S. representatives on a possible free trade agreement, which has been passed by Colombia and Peru. They also asked the government to scrap a contract with Occidental, a U.S. oil company.

Ecuador's Civil Defense forces dispersed the crowds with tear gas and surrounded marchers who came within two blocks of the presidential palace. The government said it has given schools and colleges the day off, to "protect student's physical well-being."

Demonstrations were mostly peaceful, but Mesias Tatamuez, rotating president of the United Workers Front, said that the strike was gradually increasing in intensity and at the end of the day demonstrators would cut off main roads completely.

Apart from protests in the capital city, a total of around 4,000 oil workers also staged strikes in the three Amazon provinces of Orellana, Sucumbios and Napo, demanding payback of their salaries.

The strike has reduced Ecuador's daily oil output to 60,000 barrels from an average flow of 200,000 barrels.

Source: Xinhua