Ecuador oil pipeline closed by protest

Protests in the jungle region of Ecuador have forced the country's only crude oil pipeline to stop pumping at a cost of millions of dollars to the government.

Hundreds of protestors have been occupying oil installations in the provinces of Sucumbios and Orellana since Wednesday, calling for more government spending and increased security along the border with Colombia.

Negotiations to end the protest are underway. Ecuador's economy is heavily reliant on oil exports, but the two provinces where production is centred are the poorest in the country.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service