Attempted Coup in Ecuador Fails, But Threat Remains

[Judi Lynn]

Attempted Coup in Ecuador Fails, But Threat Remains
Mark WeisbrotCo-director, Center for Economic and Policy Research, Washington, D.C.
Posted: October 7, 2010 12:07 PM BIO

In June of last year, when the Honduran military overthrew the social democratic government of Manuel Zelaya, President Rafael Correa of Ecuador took it personally. "We have intelligence reports that say that after Zelaya, I'm next," said Correa.

Yesterday it turned out to be true. Some analysts are still insisting that what happened was just a police protest over possible benefit cuts that got out of hand. But to anyone who watched the prolonged, pitched gun battle on TV last night, when the armed forces finally rescued President Correa from the hospital where he was trapped by the police, this did not look like a protest. It was an attempt to overthrow the government.

The coordinated actions in various cities, the takeover of Quito's airport by a section of the armed forces - all of this indicated a planned coup attempt. And although it failed, at various points during the day it was not so clear what the outcome would be.

The government pointed a finger at former president and army Colonel Lucio Gutierrez, and he was on television yesterday calling for the ouster of Correa. He accused the president of everything from supporting the FARC (the guerrilla group fighting Colombia's government) to wrecking the economy.

The coup might have had a chance if Correa were not so popular. Despite his enemies in high places, the president's approval rating was 67 percent in Quito a couple of weeks ago. His government has doubled spending on health care, significantly increased other social spending, and successfully defaulted on $3.2 billion of foreign debt that was found to be illegitimately contracted. Ecuador managed to squeak through 2009 without a recession and is projected to grow about 2.5 percent this year. Correa, an economist, has had to use heterodox and creative methods to keep the economy growing in the face of external shocks because the country does not have its own currency. It adopted the dollar in 2000, which means that it can do little in the way of monetary policy and has no control over its exchange rate.

More:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-weisbrot/attempted-coup-in-ecuador_b_754212.html

[bvar22]

1. I'm cautiously reassured.

The Populist Reforms sweeping across Latin America (not reported in the US) gives me hope for the World.
There are well funded forces who would LOVE to see a return to the OLD ways of Rule by the very RICH.

[Billy Burnett]

2. Forces Correa's admin into a defensive posture.

Not a new tactic ...

The Breckenridge Memorandum
J.C. Breckenridge, U.S. Undersecretary of War in 1897,
sent the following memo to the Commander of the U.S.
Army, Lieutenant General Nelson A. Miles.
http://www.historyofcuba.com/history/bmemo.htm

It is obvious that the immediate annexation of these disturbing elements into our own federation in such large numbers would be sheer madness, so before we do that we must clean up the country, even if this means using the methods Divine Providence used on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

We must destroy everything within our cannons’ range of fire. We must impose a harsh blockade so that hunger and its constant companion, disease, undermine the peaceful population and decimate the Cuban army. The allied army must be constantly engaged in reconnaissance and vanguard actions so that the Cuban army is irreparably caught between two fronts and is forced to undertake dangerous and desperate measures.

[Judi Lynn]

3. Isn't it apalling seeing the country was involved in this kind of underhanded, vicious behavior

so long ago?

Quite the tradition, isn't it?

It's odd learning Americans have to learn real American history on their own, since it doesn't get taught in school!