A deepening economic crisis has prompted mass demonstrations in Quito and threats of strikes around the country that could block major highways. The Ecuadorian currency, the sucre, has lost 67 percent of its value in the past year, and Jan 10 President Jamil Mahuad proposed that the U.S. dollar replace it as the national currency. A state of emergency has been declared and 30,000 police and soldiers mobilized to control the protests.
