World Notes ECUADOR

Leon Febres Cordero, Ecuador's President, is a free man again after a bizarre incident last week in which he was held hostage for eleven hours at an air base by rebellious air force officers. Febres Cordero and his Defense Minister were captured after a brief fire fight that left two people dead.

The crisis lasted until the government met the rebels' demands and released former Air Force General Frank Vargas Pazos, known by the nickname Loco, who was jailed last March after leading a failed rebellion. Febres Cordero and the Defense Minister were released when Vargas arrived in a special government plane. Febres Cordero said he would not punish "those armed elements that took part in this action."