Ecuador oil protesters sign deal

QUITO, Ecuador:Ecuador protesters, whose attacks shut down oil exports vital to the country's economy, have struck a deal with energy companies in which the firms agreed to invest more in the poor communities where they operate.
The protesters agreed to call a permanent end to attacks they launched last week on oil wells in eastern Ecuador in return for the increased support, said mediator Ramiro Gonzalez, prefect of Pichincha province.
Negotiations had been bogged down since Wednesday over a demand by the militants they not be prosecuted for dynamiting pipelines and vandalizing pumping equipment last week.
The final settlement document did not address the issue of immunity other than to say the protesters, the government and the private oil firms would maintain a "good neighbor" relationship.