4 colonels, hundreds of officers detained for coup

QUITO, Ecuador, Jan 28: Four colonels have been arrested and hundreds of other officers detained for their part in the uprising that led to President Jamil Mahuad's overthrow, reports AP.

Gen. Telmo Sandoval, who ascended to armed forces commander in last week's power shuffle, confirmed the arrests Thursday of colonels Lucio Gutierrez, Fausto Cobo, Gustavo Lalama and Jorge Brito.

Sandoval said the junior officers would receive fair trials and assured "full respect for their physical safety."

Under Ecuador's military law, the officers face between six to eight years in prison if found guilty of charges ranging from insurrection to insubordination.

Together with hundreds of Indians, the four colonels led an insurrection of as many as 120 young army officers last week to seize Congress and proclaim a new governing junta to fight corruption and work to improve the lives of the poor.

The junta was composed of Gutierrez, Indian leader Antonio Vargas," and a former Supreme Court president.

The military high command threw its support to the civilian-military "Parliament of the People," with armed forces Chief Gen. Carlos Mendoza taking Gutierrez's spot on the ruling council.

Mahuad was forced to abandon power.

But the next day, under pressure from Washington and more then 20 regional commanders who rejected the overthrow of civilian rule, Mendoza disbanded the junta, turned over his post to Sandoval and ceded power to Vice President Gustavo Noboa.

Gutierrez was arrested Saturday when the rebellion was put down. The other attempted coup leaders were taken into custody three days later by military officials, family members and local newspapers said.

A Defence Ministry spokesman said 12 lieutenant colonels had also been arrested and that 300 other junior officers were being detained in military barracks while investigations continued to determine their roles in the uprising.