] QUITO, Ecuador (AP) -- Lawmakers in Ecuador voted
] Wednesday to remove embattled President Lucio Gutierrez
] from office after a week of escalating street protests
] demanding his ouster, and they swore in Vice President
] Alfredo Palacio to replace him.

Just got some interesting emails from my sister (who lives in Quito) about this. Apparently within 2 hours the President was thrown out, left the palace for Chile, etc.

This weekend she sent me email about how the President declared martial law, and then took the order back when it looked like the people might take advantage of it. The military dropped support for him this morning, after tear gassing rioters last night. Dropped support means "time to make a break for Chile".