Ecuador 'coup attempt' draws attention to Rafael Correa's presidency

What happened in Ecuador last week? On Thursday images ricocheted across the world of President Rafael Correa stumbling through a storm of tear gas and violent police officers, after he had stood at a window in a barracks and defiantly told them: "If you want to kill the president, here he is! Kill him, if you want to! Kill him if you are brave enough!" (Here's a short clip.)

By nightfall, a spectacular military operation at a police hospital freed Correa, who had claimed that his government was victim of an "attempted coup." In the span of the violent day, five people reportedly died.

Dramatic stuff. Yet in some ways, a spontaneous revolt against some of Correa's recent policy decisions wasn't too surprising, the BBC reports. "Correa can't act as a victim right now and say there's been a coup attempt," Lourdes Tiban, an opposition politician, told the news organization. "There's been no coup attempt whatsoever. What's happening now is his responsibility, he's calling for a confrontation."

Ecuador's armed forces remained loyal to the president throughout last week's chaos, and indeed, no figure or group has come forward to claim responsibility for igniting violence with the intent of toppling the government.

The rebel police who roughed up their president in Quito on Thursday were protesting Correa-backed austerity measures that would have seen their benefits substantially curtailed. In recent months, Correa had also threatened to dissolve Congress and rule by decree because of persistent deadlock on his proposed reforms. Ecuador is severely strapped for cash, and has defaulted in $3.2 billion in global bonds.

Yet at a news conference he held shortly after addressing his supporters from the Palacio de Carondelet, the presidential palace, Correa blamed the police uprising on allies of his chief political foe, the most recent former president, Lucio Gutierrez. Correa's government repeated the claim on Sunday. (Incidentally, Gutierrez also ruled during a period of political instability that saw massive protests against him, forcing Gutierrez to eventually seek asylum in Brazil.)

As volatile as some of that might sound, oil-exporting Ecuador has seen relative stability under Correa. He was elected in late 2006 and, in 2009, became the first Ecuadorean president to be reelected in 30 years.

On Friday, after the violence, Correa's government suggested it would back off the idea of dissolving Congress and revisit the austerity measures that sparked the police revolt. The president, his profile raised considerably with those dramatic images from Thursday, may attempt to use the police revolt as a political weapon to help consolidate power.

Meanwhile, the chief of the national police resigned on Friday, and three commanding colonels are under investigation for possibly inciting last week's violence. For more, Reuters has a fact-box with key political risks to watch as developments unfold in Ecuador.

-- Daniel Hernandez in Mexico City

Photo: Ecuador's President Rafael Correa, in his presidential sash, holds a news conference in Quito after a violent police revolt last week. Credit: Reuters

Comments

[Ramon Aguirre]

This is another CIA type coup, with long and careful planning, carried out by the local obscure power groups under the pretext of a supposed loss of laborer benefits of the least educated and formal institutions of Ecuador, a heavily armed unscrupulous police force, that serves itself all it can and when it can.... except for the elite SWAT teams that function with different spirit of service to society and are the brave ones that have saved the President from a clear assassination attempt.... reasons to kill the President could run in to the dozens, with such interest groups around that have a real power to be above the law, I as Ecuadorian, I'm so sorry to see a nation that has never really had the chance to solidify its democratic institutions.... due to these miserable and miniscules groups, that are of the idea and practice that only dumb people pay taxes..... President Correa has a tough job, the ignorance and noncompliance to the law by the power groups is obnoxious.

[Emile Zola]

Calling democracy the governments of now is the epitome of contradiction and moral torpitude. Even America, the so called beacon of democracy, is as democratic as Castro, Correa, Chavez, Morales, Pinochet, et al. When we invade countries at the drop of a gallon of oil, when we drone civilians like Hitler used the ovens, when we allow black boxes, torture galore, well as they say there is no difference in the form of government. Maybe the means are different, but the goals are the same trying to dominate the world, country come hell or high water. And who decided to call that protest a coup? How can you tell when the boy who cried wolf is telling the truth? Never. Just try to kill Medicare or Social Security and see that the tea partiers are not going to take it on one cheek. Must likely they will exercise their second ammendment of the Bill of Rights literally. Wasn't the original tea partier movement based on money? I don't see any thing different here. The government is trying to renege on contracts that shouldn't be made retroactive. Even here, the racist core of tea partiers and senator Demente of SC is saying that the destruction of Medicare, Social Security will only cover future retirees. If the government, republicans, tea partiers want another revolution a la Bolshevik, try to negate Medicare, SS and let's see who comes out ahead.

[ANTONIO]

This is a perfect example of tendentious reporting. 1.- Correa's vehicle was fired on, and the bullet proof glass was cracked, although the bullets did not reach him. 2.- He was held at the hospital against his will and would not have gotten out if the loyal army had not rescued him. 3.- Some police were talking about austerity measures that affected all government workers such as Christmas gifts and bonuses, all paid for by tax payers. This is not a credible reason for a coup. Police salaries have doubled and tripled under Correa. Lucio Hutierrez has expressly said he wished Correa out of office and wants to return. Those are the facts.

[JENNY R M]

MI QUERIDO PRESIDENTE, DESDE LA LEJANIA, TE AGRADECEMOS POR TODOS LOS DERECHOS QUE HAS IMPUESTO A NUESTRO ECUADOR, YA QUE SE ESTAVA DESVALORIZANDO, NUESTRO ECUADOR, SOLO TE FALTA COMPLETAR LA VALORIZACION DE LA MONEDA, YA QUE NO PODEMOS COMPETIR CON LA MONEDA AMERICANA.

Y NO ES LEAL NI JUSTO QUE OTROS PAISES SAQUEN VENTAJAS DE LA DOLARISACION, PARA EXPLOTAR NUESTRO PAIS, Y MIENTRAS TANTO LOS ECUATORIANOS MISMOS NO NOS ABASTA PARA VIVIR.

PERO IGUAL TE AGRDECEMOS POR TODO LO QUE PUEDAS HACER, LOGRAR Y OBTENER POR NUESTRO LINDO ECUADOR.

TE QUEREMOS MUCHO Y SIGUE ADELANTE, CON FUERZA, VALOR Y MUCHA DIGNIDAD, Y MAS QUE NADA CON TU PALABRA DE HOMBRE Y COMO PERSONA HUMANA QUE ERES. LOVE ALWAYS. JENNY.

[av2ts]

I have to object on a number of levels here. First off, this was no "spontaneous revolt against some of Correa's recent policy decisions." This was a well-planned attempt by a disgruntled elite to take over the country's democracy.

The BBC report you cite as Gospel claims this was "spontaneous" because the high police and army command remained in line. However, this is not exactly true and ignores the confusion that held for a few hours. At least 3 Colonels led the golpe. Reports were rife of barracks "up and down the country" being in support of the rebellion. The Air Force was said to be wavering. 2300 police supposedly took part...

The Government claims it has audio and written evidence of police receiving commands from somewhere. There were well prepared pro-Lucio Guitierrez (opposition politicians who still claims to be President) chants. Lucio, of course, gained power once for 3 hours in a very similar coup, that began with the occupation of the National Assembly (which happened here as well). We also know one of the three Colonels who led the golpe attended the US "School of the Assassins" in Georgia, and there had long been reports of CIA "sponsorship" of elements of the Quito police force.

Why has the LA Times mentioned NONE of these very relevant facts?

Instead we get a blog post suggesting we did not really see a coup attempt. That kidnapping a President for 12 hours really just happened by circumstance. That the tear gassing and shoving of the President was really something every President should expect if he dare slash someone's bonus pay. He asked for it.

Finally we are warned Correa (who graduated my my alma matter U of Illinois) will use this as a "political weapon to consolidate power." Of course he will. In fact ANY discipline against those who thought it was ok to lock the President in a hospital should just be seen as a creeping Hugo Chavez dictatorship.

[Doris]

I'll send you the other one's there are more.

[PJANDROS]

WHO WAS THE MORON THAT SAID CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA WERE SAFE FOR RETIREMENT. STAY HOME. SPEND LESS. FIND A SCRAGGY PATCH ALONG THE LONESOME HIGHWAY OF LIFE AND BE HAPPY ALL YOU WONDERFUL, THOUGHTLESS PEOPLE...