State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said it "is a baseless charge" when asked to comment on the remarks made by Chavez on Sunday.

Chavez rejected reports that police frustrated with not getting pay hikes rose up against his political ally in Quito Thursday, and blamed "other hidden interests."

"Washington has dusted off its old playbook for coups d'etat, so it can get rid of the governments that refuse to be subordinate to it," Chavez alleged.

Quito's international airport and legislature were back to normal after being occupied briefly by rebel forces during the heavy gunfire and street clashes that killed 10 people and left 272 wounded Thursday.

The Ecuadoran leader insisted the rebellion was a coup attempt before the dramatic rescue of a tear-gassed Correa by loyal military and police from a hospital in Quito, where the unrest kept him holed up for half a day.

Correa blamed supporters of Lucio Gutierrez -- an ex-army colonel who was president from 2003 to 2005 -- for the chaos on what he called "surely the saddest day of my entire government and one of the saddest of my life."

Correa, 47, has been in office since 2007, was reelected last year to a second term as president of the South American country of 14.5 million people.

Ecuador has a history riddled with violent political upheaval.

Highlighting the longstanding tension between Washington and Caracas is the the opposition by Chavez to Washington's ambassador designate to Venezuela, Larry Palmer.

"The Venezuelan government has made its views on our nominee clear, but he remains our nominee," Crowley said.

earlier related report
Ecuador law that fueled police uprising takes effect
Quito (AFP) Oct 4, 2010 - A law on public employee bonus payments blamed for triggering a police uprising in Ecuador against President Rafael Correa took effect Monday with no changes despite tensions among police and the government.

The law includes unpopular cuts to bonus payments linked to seniority.

On Thursday hundreds of police occupied a police station in the capital and the runway at the international airport, demanding Correa's government scrap the law that was adopted Wednesday by the legislature. By day's end, 10 people were killed in the political turmoil and at least 247 injured.

Correa, whose government had been relatively uneventful in a country long renowned for political instability, insisted the rebellion was a coup attempt.

Loyal military and police rescued the president from a hospital in Quito, where the unrest kept him holed up for half a day.

Correa at the weekend resisted some opposition calls for him to call early elections due to the unrest.

The protests Thursday spread to police stations in at least five of the South American country's 24 provinces. Police in Ecuador make about 700 dollars a month -- almost three times the minimum salary of 240 dollars a month.

Only 600 police officers out of a force of some 40,000 took part in the uprising, according to Deputy Interior Minister Edwin Jarrin.

But sources close to the revolt said at least 2,300 officers had joined the protest.

Correa, 47, a leftist ally of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez who has been in office since 2007, was reelected last year to a second term as president of the Andean country of 14.5 million people.

Ecuador has a history riddled with violent political upheaval.

Three of Correa's predecessors from 1996 to 2006 -- including Gutierrez -- were ousted before completing their terms.

The US-educated economist has taken a tough stand with foreign investors and refused to repay some foreign debt, in moves welcomed by supporters who have blamed the effects of the economic crisis on foreign liberalism.

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