US Urges New Poll in Ecuador

[chlamor]

My Comment: Ecuador is the 13th largest importer of oil to the U.S. at 139,000 barrels/day

US urges new poll in Ecuador

Agencies in Quito
Friday April 22, 2005
The Guardian

The US called for new elections in Ecuador yesterday after its parliament dramatically removed the president, Lucio Gutierrez.

Mr Gutierrez, the third Ecuadorean leader to be toppled in eight years, was yesterday holed up at the Brazilian embassy in Quito, awaiting asylum, a day after the congress voted to oust him after violent street protests.

Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, hinted that Washington was concerned at the removal of the president.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1466126,00.html

[Roland99]

1. "hinted"? Give me a break

Seriously, why don't we just go ahead and takeover the entire world? Then there won't be a need for any future pre-emptive attacks, secretly-led coups, supported assassinations, etc, all in the name of increase market sizes for American corporations.

[aneerkoinos]

2. Concerned? New elections?

That must mean there is a chance that the ex-VP, now President (whatshisname) is actually a decent guy, and that US is worried that he might go ahead with the plan to call together the constitutional meeting.

[aneerkoinos]

3. Alfredo Palacio

Well, the NYP Juan Forero puke reports that Palacio nominated a left leaning guy as the minister of economy. Also Palacio not enthusiastic about the previous direction of trade talks with US.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/04/22/news/ecuador.php

[nodehopper]

19. yeah. Lucio was kicked out for corruption, but

the brewing dissatisfaction that was present for a while had to do with the fact that he started out as a left-winger, collaborating with the indigenous movement and looking out for Ecuador, but by the end he sold out to the IMF.

[Demeter]

4. Sure! Right After We Redo Florida and Ohio!

You first, Condi!

[Straight Shooter]

5. If there is a new poll at US insistence, the numbers will be even worse.

But since when has the bush administration let common sense and facts get in its way?

[moggie]

16. You think?

"Electronic voting is being introduced in Ecuador in a bid to ensure transparency and more effective verification ..."

http://www.oas.org/OASpage/press_releases/press_release.asp?sCodigo=E-112/04

[aneerkoinos]

6. Good analysis:

Ecuador - The Next Domino to Fall?

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0504/S00334.htm

• In a special session on Wednesday, Ecuador’s congress voted unanimously to remove President Lucio Gutiérrez from office, passing the leadership baton to Vice President Alfredo Palacio, who conceivably will have the proper vision to get the job done.

• Ecuador could become the next member of the new left movement that is sweeping across South America if the local indigenous communities are allowed to help fill the country’s new political vacuum. Such a move could spill over to Mexico in next year’s presidential election, further isolating Washington and forcing it to increasingly rely its Central American Banana Republic servitors.

• Ecuador represents one more defeat for Assistant Secretary of State Roger Noriega’s Latin America policy.


and much more.

[bemildred]

7. Yeah, not bad.

This isn't going to help Uribe and Colombia and "Plan Colombia"
and all that crap either. IIRC we have some military installations
in Ecuador that "support" the drug war in Colombia, etc.

[aneerkoinos]

8. Next: Peru

The Peruvian leader has a popular support of whopping 8%. But the opposition is fragmented and social movements less organized.

BTW, do you remember how did Ecuador vote in OAS leadership? For the US candidate or for the Chavez candidate? Did US just loose that game, also?

[bemildred]

9. That (Peru) would be the next one.

Bolivia seems to be "federalizing" quietly, for the moment.
Seeing the stooge in Lima go would be most satisfying.

Edit: I believe Ecuador was one of our little buddies, but could
not swear to it. I don't believe I ever saw a detailed breakdown
of the vote. It will be interesting to see if this affects
the OAS vote. I would very much like to see the Chilean guy get
the job.

[htuttle]

10. Gutierrez got elected by portraying himself as a Chavez-type leftist

...but then as soon as he got elected, he became a US stooge. Hence his loss of public support.

At least that's the analysis I've been reading most often this week.

[bemildred]

13. My mistake, Ecuador supported Insulza, not the Mexican.

That's what I've read too (about Gutierrez).

[Robbien]

12. Ecuador voted against the US backed Mexican candidate

I keep having the feeling this unrest in Ecuador benefits the US more than it does South America and wonder how much of it is being instigated by NED covert activities.

[bemildred]

15. I don't think so.

There is no convenient replacement agreeable to US interests (AFAIK).
Gutierrez was doing a fair job of working boths sides of the street
and I think his loss will be regretted in Washington

[Robbien]

17. I just went over to the Miami Herald

and saw they were very unhappy about this unrest. You are probably right that this unrest is a good thing. Since the Miami Herald is unhappy, BushCo is unhappy.

Good.

[nodehopper]

20. by the end of the now-defunct presidency

Ecuador was dancing to the IMF's fiddle. Also they got "dollarized" in 2000, which many were NOT happy about.

[bemildred]

22. Good point, I forgot the dollarizing.

That was sort of the end of the honeymoon, the first indication
of his real agenda.

[mountebank]

27. Dollarizing occurred pre-Gutierrez.

And was begun by ex-toppled-President Jamil Mahuad (who incidentally is now a fellow at Harvard in case anyone wondered where corrupt ex-Presidents of Ecuador go to die). Who led the coup against Jamil? Lucio Gutierrez. So Gutierrez definitely started as a friend of the people, against the dollarization, which is why the recent events in Ecuador are more difficult in the typical lexicon of Left and Right. Generally, I think the people of Ecuador are just sick of corruption and bad leadership, which is why the Left and Right came together last week to toss Gutierrez out.

[reality based]

14. Ecuador was thought to support the Chilean Insulza.

Chilean vote counters thought they had it won, however. They lost at least one of their votes. Voting was by secret ballot. Peru, Paraguay, Bolivia and Colombia were thought to have supported the Mexican candidate Derbez. I think Chile would not agree that their man is the "Chavez candidate" although Chavez is certainly backing him. Yesterday it was reported that Brazil's president had persuaded Paraguay to switch to Insulza.

[Mandate My Ass]

11. You bet the US is going to be watching this one closely

Mr Gutierrez had faced growing street protests after his decision last December to fill the supreme court with his allies.

[Rainscents]

18. Lets re-do our own election, Mr. Bush, until then, stay out!

[Robbien]

21. Oh dear lord, Guitiérrez took out a $100M IMF loan last month

most of which will go to pay interest on international debt. In exchange for that new debt, Guitiérrez promised he would reverse expansionary spending--cut the budget, and “enhance labor flexibility” by slashing jobs and weakening workers’ rights. So Guitiérrez last week announced to the pulic he would privatize the pension system, dramatically raise the costs of electricity for consumers, sell off state enterprises to private capitalists, cut taxes to businesses and reduce workers’ benefit funds.

And he wonders why the public got upset.

[bemildred]

23. And I wonder where that money is now. nt

[Robbien]

24. Wouldn't it be a crime against humanity

if instead of paying off interest and loans that $100 million is now gone leaving Ecuador even further in debt. Here's hoping the money has not exchanged hands yet.

[MisterP]

25. just standard IMF fare: Greg Palast's book is a horrifying expose

they even plan for riots to happen because of their Reaganomics

[camero]

26. welcome to the way the US does business through the world bank

Lend a country more money than they can ever hope to repay, defund their social spending budgets and replace with debt payments, and voila. Massive social unrest. The typical mafia tactic. Keeping whole countries in hock.

[cliss]

28. As the winds doth blow,

I sense a change in their direction.

The US, to its tear-filled and head-banging chagrin, sees the world gradually, bit-by-bit turn against it. Slowly, one by one, the countries that Washington could count on, are changing their alliances. It started with Spain. That was a big blow.

Venezuela was an even bigger blow because of the oil. I daresay that Venezuela is in fact a bigger threat than N. Korea because of Chavez. He's playing a big part in the changes going on.

It appears that South America has become emboldened, and countries are electing leftist leaders.

I'm not sure if Washington can do anything about it. It's too many countries to fight. We can't threaten them ALL with invasion and bombs dropped on their heads, can we?

Washington's chokehold is dissipating. I've read some articles about the Panama Canal; US businessmen are "alarmed" about China moving in a greasing Panamanian palms to get influence there.

If they weren't so goddamned stupid about this, they'd see what they're causing, and change their attitude.