Ecuadorians vote for radical change

On April 15, Ecuador voted overwhelmingly to ratify President Rafael Correa's proposal to convoke a Constituent Assembly with the power to re-write the constitution with the intention of weakening the stranglehold on the country of the traditional wealthy elite.
The proposal, which originated in the demands of the country's powerful indigenous federation CONAIE (40% of Ecuador's population is indigenous) and social movements, received 82% of the vote — a major victory for Correa and a devastating defeat for the corrupt elite that has dominated Ecuadorian politics for decades.

The process leading up to the vote revealed the degree to which the Congress and the nepotism of the organisations it harbours have been sidelined by the Ecuadorian people, who are demanding a truly participatory democracy.

Correa, a leftist economist and university lecturer who received his PhD from the University of Illinois, first came to national fame in 2005, in the aftermath of the overthrow of President Lucio Gutierrez. Gutierrez had followed the path of his predecessors by promising radical reforms and then backing down in the face of US and International Monetary Fund (IMF) pressure within days of being elected.

After Gutierrez became the third president in a decade to be ousted by popular unrest, Vice-President Alfredo Palacio took over, appointing Correa finance minister. Correa's stint was cut short, however. Within a few months he was forced to resign after his plans to redirect Ecuador's foreign debt spending towards social needs, like schools and hospitals, came up against powerful financial interests.

Correa's radical plans spark battle in Ecuador

The small Andean nation of Ecuador is facing a political crisis as the Congress and the courts turn on each other over new president Rafael Correa's plans for a Constituent Assembly and a "citizens' revolution" to build "21st century socialism" in the poverty-stricken country.

Correa, a self-described socialist and close ally of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, was elected late last year promising to redirect Ecuador's oil wealth into social spending, increase popular democracy and limit the power of the traditional political parties. Central to this platform is convoking a popular Constituent Assembly to rewrite Ecuador's constitution.

In February the 100-member Congress, which is controlled by parties hostile to Correa and his policies, passed a bill allowing a referendum on the assembly after the opposition Patriotic Society Party (PSP) of former president Lucio Gutierrez voted in favour. However there was an immediate dispute over the power that the assembly will have, Correa arguing for a plenary power enabling it to dismiss not only the Congress and courts, but also the president.

Ecuador: "Tod den Ratten!"

SoZ - Sozialistische Zeitung, März 2007
Seit seiner Amtseinführung am 15.Januar hat sich Ecuadors Präsident Rafael Correa an die Durchführung seiner Pläne zur Veränderung der Gesellschaft gemacht.
Um die Umweltverschmutzung einzudämmen, erklärte Correa am 3.Februar, dass Ecuador die Verträge von Ölgesellschaften, die unnötigerweise die Umwelt schädigen, annullieren wird. Correa hat die Absicht, Verträge mit Ölgesellschaften neu auszuhandeln, um der Regierung einen größeren Anteil am Gewinn zu sichern, um soziale Ausgaben finanzieren zu können.

Zu den dafür in Frage kommenden Gesellschaften gehört Brasiliens Unternehmen Petrobras, das die Rechte zur Ausbeutung von Ölblock 31 besitzt, der in einer der biologisch vielfältigsten Regionen der Welt liegt. Eine weitere Zielscheibe des Zorns der Regierung ist eine von Ascendant Copper in Junín geplante Mine. Die Stellungnahme des Unternehmens über die Folgen für die Umwelt war Ende 2006 zurückgewiesen worden und die Gesellschaft wird auch beschuldigt, paramilitärische Gruppen zur Einschüchterung von lokalen Gegnern der Mine zu benutzen.

Ecuador: Vor einer neuen Ära?

SoZ - Sozialistische Zeitung, März 2007
Am 15.Januar wurde Ecuadors neuer Präsident, Rafael Correa Delgado, vereidigt, der bei diesem Anlass versprach, "den Sozialismus des 21.Jahrhunderts" aufzubauen, um die Armut und Instabilität in dem kleinen Andenstaat zu überwinden.
Am Tag vor seiner Vereidigung nahm Correa in der kleinen Andenstadt Zumbahua, wo Correa in seinen Zwanzigern Sozialarbeit geleistet hatte, an einer von Indígenas organisierten Amtseinführungszeremonie teil. Daran nahmen auch die Präsidenten von Venezuela und Bolivien — Hugo Chávez und Evo Morales — teil.
 
Correa, ein 43-jähriger Wirtschaftsfachmann, benutzte seine Amtseinführung als Gelegenheit, um zu einer "Bürgerrevolution" aufzurufen, die den Reichtum dazu verwendet, soziale und Umweltbedürfnisse zu befriedigen, anstatt das gegenwärtige "perverse System" zu bewahren, das dazu geführt hat, dass 60% der 13 Millionen zählenden Bevölkerung Ecuadors in Armut leben und mehr als 3 Millionen auf der Suche nach Arbeit auswandern.
 
"Die lange Nacht des Neoliberalismus geht ihrem Ende entgegen", sagte Correa. "Ein souveränes, würdevolles, gerechtes und sozialistisches Lateinamerika beginnt zu entstehen."
 

Ekvador’da “yurttaşlar” devrimi

17 Şubat 2007
 Rafael Correa 15 Ocak’ta cumhurbaşkanlığı görevine başladığından beri Ekvador toplumunu değiştirme planını uygulamaya başladı. Planın özü “yurttaşların devrimi”ne dayanarak “21. yüzyıl sosyalizmi”ni kurmak ve ülkeyi yeniden yapılandırmak için ulusal gelirle sağlık, eğitim, yerleşim ve çevre gibi programlara yatırım yapmak. 

Çevre kirlenmesini azaltmak için Correa 3 Şubat’ta çevreye zarar veren petrol şirketlerin anlaşmalarının askıya alınacağını açıkladı. Karar, geçen yıl kontrat şartlarına uymadığı için imtiyazları kaldırılan Oxy Petrol Şirketi’nin işlettiği yataklardan Ekvador hükümetinin bir milyar dolar kazandığı açıklandıktan sonra alındı. Correa, hükümet payını arttırarak toplumsal yatırımlarda kullanılacak parayı sağlamak üzere öteki şirketlerle de pazarlığın başlayacağını söyledi. 

Biyolojik türler yönünden dünyanın en zengin bölgelerinden birinde olan Petrol Bloğu 31’de araştırma hakkına sahip olan Brezilyalı Petrobras şu anda inceleme altında. Hükümetin şimşeklerini üstüne çeken bir başkası da Junin’de Ascendant Copper’in işletmeye hazırlandığı bakır ocakları. Ascendant’ın çevre etkilenmesi raporu 2006 yılında reddedilmişti ve şirket aynı zamanda maden ocağının işletilmesine karşı çıkan yerel halkı yıldırtmak için paramiliterleri kullanmakla suçlanıyor. 

Ecuador to vote on Constituent Assembly

Faced with thousands of protesters, reflecting growing popular pressure, Ecuador's Congress voted on February 13 to allow a motion by President Rafael Correa for a referendum on a constituent assembly.

The referendum, to be held on April 15, will allow the election by September of 130 members to the assembly, which will have 180 days to rewrite the constitution (with a possible 30-day extension). 
The proposal, which is supported by over 75% of Ecuadorians, is similar to Venezuela's successful 1999 assembly and Bolivia's current constituent assembly.

The assembly is intended to limit the power of the traditional, pro-rich parties and Congress, which are regarded to be extremely corrupt, and allow greater democratic participation by the community through decreasing electorate sizes and allowing the recall of all elected officials.

Ecuador's 'citizens' revolution'

Since his January 15 inauguration, President Rafael Correa has set about implementing his plan for changing Ecuadorian society, centred on a "citizens' revolution" to refound the country and begin the construction of a "socialism of the 21st century" by investing economic wealth in social spending on health, education, housing and the environment.
In an effort to curb pollution, on February 3 Correa declared that Ecuador would suspend the contracts of oil companies who needlessly damage the environment. The decision follows the recent announcement that the Ecuadorian government had made US$1 billion from the oilfields of Oxy Petroleum, whose concessions were revoked a year ago for breach of contract. 

Correa has announced his intention to renegotiate contracts with other oil companies to give the government a larger share of the profits, to use for social spending.
Already under investigation is Brazil's Petrobras, which holds the right to explore Oil Block 31, located in one of the world's most biologically diverse regions. Another target of the government's ire is a mine planned by Ascendant Copper in Junin. Ascendant's environmental impact statement was rejected in late 2006, and the company is also accused of using paramilitary groups to intimidate and assault local opponents of the mine.
On February 5, Ecuador announced that it will take Colombia to the International Court of Justice over the spraying of glyphosate near the border and over parts of Ecuador. In December last year, Ecuador temporarily withdrew its ambassador from Colombia over the issue. 

Ecuador's Correa calls for socialist Latin America

On January 15, Ecuador's new president, Rafael Correa Delgado, was sworn in, promising to build "socialism of the 21st century" to overcome the poverty and instability of the small Andean country.

The previous day, Correa attended an indigenous inauguration ceremony in Zumbahua, the small Andean town where he did volunteer social work in his twenties. The presidents of Venezuela and Bolivia — Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales — were present as special guests.

Correa, a 43-year-old economist, used his inauguration to call for a "citizens' revolution", using wealth to meet social and environmental needs, rather than maintaining the current "perverse system" that has led to over 60% of Ecuador's 13 million people living in poverty and forced more than 3 million to emigrate in search of jobs.

"The long night of neoliberalism is coming to an end", said Correa, "A sovereign, dignified, just and socialist Latin America is beginning to rise."

Leftist candidate wins Ecuador election

The Latin American left had its fifth electoral victory of the year on November 26, when Rafael Correa, a supporter of Venezuelan socialist President Hugo Chavez, won Ecuador's presidential run-off election with the largest margin in almost 30 years.

Correa, a former finance minister and economics lecturer, received 57% of the vote, defeating Alvaro Noboa, Ecuador's richest man, a fierce anti-communist, banana-plantation owner and advocate of neoliberal economics, and despite a slander campaign and outright bribes (including hand-outs of cash, computers and wheelchairs).

The mass mobilisation against Noboa by numerous social movements, and accusations by the New York-based Human Rights Watch and other organisations that the billionaire used child labour and strike-busting gangs on his plantations also helped to turn what looked like a close race into a rout.

Against the right-wing Christian populism of Noboa (who claimed God had sent him to defeat the "communist", "terrorist" Correa), his 43-year-old leftist rival advocated a platform for radical change — a "citizens' revolution" that promises to fundamentally change the Ecuadorian political landscape.

Ecuador: Correa claims voting fraud

On October 15 Ecuador went to the polls. Having seen eight presidents in 10 years, three of whom were overthrown by a population frustrated by the corruption, ineptitude and nepotism that characterise Ecuador's elite, the chances of any government lasting out its mandate seem pretty slim. However, the challenge could be in getting one of the pool of 13 presidential candidates even legitimately elected.

First counts showed the radical left-wing economist, Rafael Correa, and two-time runner-up, billionaire banana magnate Alvaro Noboa, neck-and-neck with around 25% each — until the voting machines, supplied by Brazilian company E-Vote, broke down.

When E-Vote declared that it was unable to count the last thirty percent of votes, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) rescinded its contract, and Correa, who had been polling well over 30% immediately before the election, claimed that a fraud had been perpetrated. Many of the other parties have echoed his claims.

A subsequent recount by the TSE confirmed a margin of 26% to 23% in favour of Noboa. However, Correa's party, Alianza Pais ("Country Alliance") has produced what it claims is evidence of systematic fraud, including photographs of members of Noboa's PRIAN (Renovador Institucional) party at polling booths marking and removing hundreds of ballots.