In dramatic scenes, he was rescued by loyal troops from a police hospital after what the BBC described as a 20-25 minute gun battle.

While the USA publicly backs Correa, there are inevitably suspicions it has covertly supported a move against a leader who has blocked big business designs for the country and thrown out a US military base.

Comments Al Giordiano of Narco News: "Every time there has been a coup d'etat in this hemisphere - from Chile 1973 to Honduras 2009 - it has been designed for its proponents to say 'oh, no, this is not a coup!'.

"In what country do police forces shoot tear gas at their elected president unless they feel protected by much bigger forces?

"There is already a disinformation campaign throughout the Internet - similar to what happened with Venezuela 2002 and Honduras 2009 - to claim that this is only a 'police protest'.

"Use your common sense and instincts and knowledge of history. The same international gang of thieves that was behind the Honduras coup is now making its move to try to go after what it considers the 'second slowest zebra' of the center-left governments in the hemisphere.

"Only this time, the zebra was fast enough and has the backing (so far) of the Armed Forces. But this is clearly an attempt at destabilization to make an elected government fall."