Indigenous leaders are calling for help to stop oil companies drilling in the headwaters of the Amazon river in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, warning that encroaching on their homelands would destroy a bulwark against climate change.

Ecuador has been among the hardest-hit countries in Latin America by the coronavirus, with 24,675 confirmed cases and 883 deaths, plus a further 1,357 deaths that were likely caused by the virus.

Ecuador's President Lenin Moreno unveiled an emergency economic plan Friday aimed at rescuing the South American nation hard hit by the new coronavirus.

Morgues around the world from New York to Ecuador are struggling to keep up with the demand for space as coronavirus cases top 1,000,000 worldwide.

"I wish people would get on it and save us,” said Tanya Dooley. "We are Canadians just like you guys.

Lonesome George, thought to be the last individual of his species, was known as the rarest creature in the world during his final years.

In a speech to investors, Ecuador's President Lenin Moreno said women only tend to complain about sexual harassment when it comes from ugly people.

The islands are home to a "melting pot" of marine species, with everything from giant tortoises to sea lions to mockingbirds and finches. 

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is also battling record levels of violence, which has caused more friction with the Trump administration.

The signing of the decree is a blow to Moreno, and leaves big questions about the oil-producing nation's fiscal situation.