Ecuador Oil Row Leaves 30 Wounded

Quito, Jul 4 (Prensa Latina) At least 30 people have been wounded in clashes the Ecuadorian province of Orellana, over several days of protests against an exclusionary hiring policy of Petroriental oil company.

In the last incident, nine soldiers were wounded when several armed people attacked a Petroriental convoy guarded by military forces.

That confrontation took place shortly after the Ecuadorian government called the parties at odds to dialogue, but no effort has been made so far, Orellanas residents declared.

Orellanas Mayor Guadalupe Llori blamed Quito authorities for this new violence, and called to talk with protesters, who are urging the Chinese oil company to meet its commitment to hire local workers.