US Says Ecuador Must Have Elections, but New President Says No

[Robbien]

<snip>

Palacio has ruled that out for now as he seeks to bring stability back to the country, but the United States has weighed in with a demand that new elections be called. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice commented yesterday that Washington sought elections and was concerned at the removal of President Lucio Gutierrez.

. . .

Gutierrez is currently holed up in the Brazilian embassy in Quito after Brasilia granted him asylum. He had angered Ecuadorians for instituting free market policies, filling the Supreme Court with his own supporters and increasingly acting in a dictatorial manner as more and more people protested what was seen as his betrayal of the socialist ideals that had gained him the presidency.

. . .

The White House demand that new elections be held in was criticized in Ecuador as interference in the country’s internal affairs. “We have our own political system that works quite well,” said one protestor outside the presidential palace in Quito, “It’s enabled us to get rid of three such presidents to date – perhaps that’s why George W Bush doesn’t approve.”

http://www.periodico26.cu/english_new/world/ecuador220405.htm

[54anickel]

1. Wow, where have I heard that before?

He had angered Ecuadorians for instituting free market policies, filling the Supreme Court with his own supporters and increasingly acting in a dictatorial manner

[lenidog]

2. What gets me is the one about the Supreme Court

I mean what president in any country is going to appoint someone who is against their policies to the Supreme Court of that nation.

[smoogatz]

5. He fired the existing supreme court

in violation of Ecuador's constitution, then tried to pack the court with his cronies. That's why people are upset. It's exactly what Tom DeLay wants to do.

[lenidog]

9. So he tried to expound on FDR's court packing idea

I have to agree with the people.

[smoogatz]

11. FDR may have packed the court

But he did it within the rules of the US Constitution. The situation in Ecuador is not analogous, as I understand it.

[lenidog]

14. It was a weak attempt at sarcasm

Same idea different way to do it. FDR wanted to expand the court to fill it with his supporters. This idiot says screw that and fires the supreme court and replace them with his supporters.

[gratuitous]

3. Gee, what if Ecuador demanded new elections in the U.S.?

Bush and his corrupt cronies would tell them to take a flying leap. So why do they think that Ecuador has any interest in what they have to say?

[Dirk39]

4. They had elections, but it didn't work...

How often do people have to vote against the IMF and the Worldbank to get rid of these economic terrorists, the real axis of evil if there is any? How often did they vote for someone, who promised to throw them out of their countries just to surrender to them after getting elected? Lula is just the last example...
I'm pretty sure Rice doesn't talk about free elections like in Venezuela, she must have something different in mind.

Hello from Germany,
Dirk

[Robbien]

6. Yes, something different. Electronic voting was pushed on Ecuador.

Good to see Ecuador had a way around that Diebold election pitfall.

[aneerkoinos]

12. Representative "democracy"?

You mean like here in Europe, all the parties shine their leftist armor during the elections, promise no more tax cuts and better public services and more equality and inclusiveness, but after elections it's "market forces", "competability", "globalization" yada yada, fuck the people, let's go do war with Bush.

Chavez and SA social movements are right: representative democracy is not authentic democracy any more, what we need is participatory democracy, political control over economy, in two words: democratic socialism, because there is no other genuine democracy.

[Dirk39]

17. You got it right...

In Germany we had just two of the most comical weeks in Postwar Germany. After 8 years of neoliberalism, the hardest social cuts in the history of postwar-Germany, commited by Social Democrats and Greens, while despite all their neoliberal reforms the unemployment rate is just rising and rising and rising: Month before the next important election - they would just lose the last federal government they had, they re-invent lipserving criticism of capitalism.
I want a european Chavez right now!
Dirk

[aneerkoinos]

19. Greens and Stalinists

It's pretty clear that the revisionists (social democrats) have moved right of centre everywhere.

Here in Finland at least, the remaining leftist party is infested with Stalinists and ex-Soviet spies, and compete on nationalistic agenda with ultra-right instead of internationalistic solidarity. I would imagine the same goes for the Ossie left partie in Germany.

I have not forsaken all hope for the Greens, the Finnish Green party has been lead by an ex-Liberal (yup, the Finnish Green party is pretty much merger of ex-liberals and ex-Stalinists plus minority of eco-fundies), who's smart but after his minister post has identified too much with power structures and shown liberal colour in economic policy (during election campaing it was pretty sad wathich him and the Social dem leader debating which one is more to the left, and the conservative leader trying to prove he too is on the side of working people and social security.

But now there's a chance that the ex-liberal gets replaced by a second generation stalinist young woman (ie with a heart of a real socialist, very anti-authoritarian). My kind of person, my father was a stalinist too, but left the commie party when they (post soviet collapse) became nationalistic populists instead of internationlistic (so he was allways really in his heart a trotskyite, I'd guess ;D).

[Horse with no Name]

7. I wish i knew what they think gives them the right

to tell other countries how to run their country?
If I were a leader in another country and saw the mess they have made in this country...I wouldn't take their advice, why should they?

[mikehiggins]

8. WTF? More of them wetbacks tellin the US to STFU?

What's the blue blazes is going on down there? Those people think they own their own countries or something?

[sweetheart]

10. What can a prime minster do...

After seeing this film "life and debt", it would take an unelected
president to accept american free market reforms, as any seriously
"elected" person representting his/her constitutents, could never
conscience. The US slave state needs another message besides some
oreo lady suggesting people put on their slave chains. Fuck rice, that
cooked bitch... she is a soulless slave master messenger, like a
terminator... patriarchal robot with some flesh on the outside.

[Dirk39]

13. The IMF's last reports:

From the last IMF report (Feb. 2005):
"In addition to macroeconomic stability and a business-friendly environment, sustaining solid economic growth and supporting the dollarization regime in Ecuador would require economic diversification and increased competitiveness through the implementation of structural reforms in a number of areas. We also agreed that efficient management of the country's oil resources was crucial and that this would require important reforms to PetroEcuador and adherence to the rules regarding the use of the FEIREP. President Gutiérrez explained his plans for reform in the oil, electricity and financial sectors, and on social security and civil service. It is very important that the various political parties and social groups forge the consensus that will be necessary to move ahead with these reforms, so as to build a stronger economy for the benefit of all Ecuadorans."

http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2005/pr0534.htm

And from 2004:
"The authorities were encouraged to persevere with their plans to modernize and restructure PetroEcuador, and to liberalize the domestic petroleum derivatives markets. Directors supported the authorities' efforts to implement a new legal framework to increase private sector participation in the oil sector. They stressed the need for reforms in the electricity sector, to reduce costs and to attract much-needed private investment to increase capacity."
http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pn/2004/pn0491.htm



One of the first things, the new president has announced, is to use the profits of the oil for the people, for social programs etc...

Create two, three many Venezuelas!

Dirk

[aneerkoinos]

15. 1848, 1968, 1989...

And now grazy post millenium years in LatAm, IMF/US imperialist chains breaking everywhere.

What Palacio should do (besides flipping the bird at US), after the call of people of Ecuador was "out with all of them", is to call together a constitutionall convention with all sectors represented to write a new constitution (the new Venezuelan one has many good things to take example of, should Ecuadorians want so), that seems to be the only way out of the impasse between political elite and population with no trust in them.

Same goes for Bolivia. And why not Brazil.

Europe showed how nations can unite to share sovereignity, time for South America to show Europe how to do that with developing towards socialism and participatory democracy, not away from.

[struggle4progress]

16. Elections! What an interesting idea! Let's have some here soon!

[FlemingsGhost]

18. Pfftttt ... Latin America is no longer under Uncle Sam's thumb.

All that remains is our drug operation in Colombia.

[Laurab]

20. I love this line:

" “We have our own political system that works quite well,” said one protestor outside the presidential palace in Quito, “It’s enabled us to get rid of three such presidents to date – perhaps that’s why George W Bush doesn’t approve.”

Makes me kind of jealous - although I'd be happy just getting rid of one...

[Robbien]

21. Other countries see the situation so clearly

it boggles the mind that half the US citizens are completely unaware.