QUITO, Ecuador (Reuters) -- Ecuador claimed Saturday "extremist politicians"
                  were manipulating a massive Indian protest against price hikes to try to
                  overthrow the government, a year after a similar uprising ended in a coup.

                  In a televised address to the nation, Interior Minister Juan Manrique said the
                  political group, which he did not identify, wanted to "disrupt order in the
                  republic, alter the legal system and illegitimately grasp the power of the state."

                  The address came a day after the government declared a national state of
                  emergency empowering the military to evict thousands of protesters -- some
                  carrying spears -- who have flooded into Quito and blocked key highways
                  across the Andean nation.

                  Over the last week, security forces firing tear gas have clashed with protesters
                  who object to government-mandated gasoline and public transportation price
                  hikes that -- backed by the International Monetary Fund -- are intended to boost
                  ailing state coffers. The impoverished nation of 12.4 million people is embroiled
                  in one of its worst economic crises in decades.

                  After widespread demonstrations last year, the same Indian leaders who have
                  organized the current protest took over the Congress building in a move that led
                  to the ouster of then-President Jamil Mahuad. The uprising had the support of
                  some members of the military as well.

                  The nation is reeling from an economic crisis that has sparked 91 percent annual
                  inflation -- the highest in Latin America -- and left only 25 percent of Ecuador's
                  workforce with full-time jobs.

                  Political analysts have said it is unlikely this year's protests will topple Mahuad's
                  successor, President Gustavo Noboa, because he has the backing of the business
                  community and the military, which often acts a key power broker. Still, Noboa is
                  struggling to consolidate political stability in Ecuador, which has had four
                  presidents in the last four years.

                  About 5,000 Indian protesters have gathered in Quito at the Salesian University,
                  where security was tightened on Saturday. Indians carrying spears manned the
                  doors, restricting traffic flows and checking visitors' identification.

                  The government's imposition of the national state of emergency indicated that
                  security forces might evict the protesters from the university during the week,
                  political analysts said

                  Defense Minister Hugo Unda told Ecuadorans in Saturday's government address
                  that the emergency allowed the armed forces to "plan and execute evictions of
                  groups that occupy public and private installations."

                  The state of emergency empowers the government to limit group meetings and
                  nationwide travel, search private homes without legal authority and dispatch
                  military and police forces as it deems necessary. But Antonio Vargas, president
                  of Ecuador's National Indian Federation and leader of last year's overthrow,
                  vowed not to back down.

                  "They've been insisting we talk and threatening to evict us. They want to apply a
                  strong hand. We're not going to run, we're not going to faint, we are going to
                  stay right here until we reach our objective," Vargas said in a speech at the
                  university.

                  Manrique accused Vargas of breaking off talks with the government which
                  sought a peaceful solution to the conflict.

                     Copyright 2001 Reuters.