Greens Free
The government has freed five European environmental activists from the Quito jail recently. They were accused of damaging property while staging protests against the construction of a new oil pipeline, believed to encroach on the Mindo protected forest and bird habitat.

Despite environmental repercussions, the government is counting on the new pipeline to nearly double oil transport capacity from the current 400,000 barrels a day to 850,000 barrels. This is expected to yield fresh revenues sorely needed to boost the sagging economy of the country.