Army Troops, Police Patrol Belize After Week of Unrest

Officials in Belize say police and Army troops have been deployed in the Central American nation after a week of rioting knocked out power and phone service.

The officials say the demonstrations began last week in the nation's largest city, Belize City, when telephone workers went on strike.

The protests escalated into anti-government unrest with calls for more action to address poverty, unemployment and crime.

Officials say looting and violence prompted the army to begin patrols.

The Organization of American States Tuesday called on all parties in Belize to respect the rule of law and to abide by the nation's constitution.

Belize, a nation of 270,000 people on the western edge of the Caribbean, is a popular tourist destination.

Some information for this report provided by Reuters.