From the Communist Party USA’s People’s Weekly World 12.10.06
An Oct. 7 poll by the Cedatos/Gallup group shows Rafael Correa, a left-wing economist who opposes Washington’s “free trade” policies, is leading in the country’s presidential race with 37 percent of the electorate’s support.
Correa’s closest competitors are former vice president Leon Roldos, with 21 percent, and the pro-business, two-time congresswoman Cynthia Viteri, with 19 percent.
No one is likely to win outright in the first round of voting on Oct. 15, but if Correa gets to the runoff and ultimately wins, Latin America will have another leftward-leaning head of state, joining Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez and Bolivia’s Evo Morales.
The Ecuadorean people have high expectations that Correa, unlike his predecessors, will defend the nation’s sovereignty and keep his pledges. These pledges include his vow to close the U.S. military base at Manta, to restructure the foreign debt, to reject any so-called free trade agreements, to renegotiate contracts with foreign oil companies on more favorable terms and to convene a constituent assembly.
New Zeal Correa is a close personal friend of Venezuela’s Marxist president, Hugo Chavez.
