Police in the Ecuadorean capital, Quito, have used tear gas to disperse several hundred protesters who are demanding the release of military officers arrested after last month's coup.

Several marchers, who included relatives of those arrested and native Indian leaders, were reported to have been injured as the demonstration was broken up.

They want the authorities to drop charges against the soldiers who joined the uprising and forced the president, Jamil Mahuad, from power on 21 January.

The protesters tried to march on the Carondelet Palace, the government building, but were met by cordons of police.

Arrests

Jenny Gutierrez, the sister of one of the colonels involved in the uprising that led to the coup described the arrest of people who took part in the coup as "brutal repression" by the military.

"What we are doing is carrying out a peaceful demonstration to ask for the immediate release of the detained officers," she said.

Ms Gutierrez said that three people participating in the latest protest had been arrested, but police did not confirm the report.

Ecuador's armed forces last week arrested four colonels and hundreds of other officers for their part in January's uprising.

Ex-President Mahuad was forced from power after native Indians stormed congress and key government buildings with the support of a number of soldiers, in protest against the government's economic policies.

The new president, Gustavo Noboa, has promised fair trials for the officers, who face up to eight years in prison if convicted on charges of insurrection and insubordination.

Native Indian leaders have warned of further unrest if President Noboa fails to tackle the country's economic crisis.