By the BBC's Iain Haddow

Several thousand indigenous indians from across Ecuador have been gathering in the capital, Quito, to protest against the government's handling of the economic crisis and to call on the president, Jamil Mahuad, to resign.

They slipped past checkpoints set up by the security forces who have been given emergency powers to deal with the growing unrest.

Indigenous Indians make up nearly half the population of Ecuador, so when they threaten to bring the capital to a standstill, the government sits up and takes notice.

This time, indigenous leaders seem more determined than ever to make their voices heard.

Despite the efforts of tens of thousands of police and troops manning checkpoints around the country, several thousand indians have been gathering in Quito, with food supplies for several days.

They are camping out in a city park near the parliament building and are promising to hold marches and block roads until President Jamil Mahuad and the rest of the government resign.

The indian groups are angry over the government's handling of the economy, which is currently experiencing its worst recession in decades.

Failing economy

In recent months, runaway inflation, a currency crisis and falling exports have brought Ecuador's economy to its knees, hitting the indians particularly hard.

President Mahuad has taken much of the blame, and his proposal to replace the national currency with the US dollar has been dismissed by indigenous groups and other opposition organisations.

So far the government has managed to disperse those protestors who've made it through the security cordon surrounding the city, dismissing them as a tiny minority intent on spreading unrest.

But a similar protest by indigenous groups last year brought Quito to a virtual standstill for almost two weeks, forcing the government to abandon a controversial plan to increase fuel prices.