[Marxism] BBC report on Referendum Victory in Ecuador

[Greg McDonald <sabocat59@xxxxxxx>]

Ecuador: New hopes and challenges
By Daniel Schweimler
BBC News, Quito

Ecuador is a country full of divisions - divisions between rich and  
poor, coast and mountains, indigenous and mestizo, city and country.  
One of the few things they all agree on is that the country's  
political system has failed them. Ecuador has suffered 10 years of  
political turmoil - eight presidents in a decade, three of them  
thrown from office by angry crowds. The Congress has not functioned  
for months, since the government sacked 57
opposition politicians.

President Rafael Correa took office in January promising radical  
change to lift the country from what he called the "pit of misery" it  
had sunk into. The referendum on Sunday was the first step in that  
process and it went better than even he, in his wildest dreams, could  
have hoped for.
His proposal to form a constituent, or people's, assembly that will  
re-write the constitution won the backing of almost 80% of the  
population. In his victory speech, he said: "My only aim is to help  
get my country out of this misery - the poverty into which we've  
sunk, which has always dominated us."
Lost faith

But it really shouldn't be like this. Ecuador is the world's biggest  
producer of bananas, it has ample oil supplies and tourism is thriving.

But much of the wealth is, and always has been, concentrated in the  
hands of a few wealthy families.

About 40% of the population lives below the poverty line and hundreds  
of thousands of Ecuadorians have migrated in search of a better life,  
mostly to the United States and Spain.

The people have lost faith in the politicians and their political  
institutions.

In the Plaza San Francisco in the heart of the colonial centre of  
Quito people were keen to give their opinions.

"The old constitutions we have had were manipulated and controlled by  
the political parties," said housewife, Carmen Maurillo.

"The same parties as always. This new assembly and new constitution  
will be of the people. That's the change we want to see."

"President Correa is complying with the desires of the people, as  
people want change," said university lecturer, Gustavo Pazmiño.

"For more than 30 years with the same congress and congressmen, we  
haven't seen any changes or improvements here," explained driver  
Arnoldo Saona, "But within three months, this new president has made  
things move forward."

"In this country we have oil, we have natural resources, we have some  
of the most beautiful parts of the world, such as in the Galapagos  
Islands, and yet there are still people who go hungry," said William  
Tapia.

"The new constitution will try to tackle that inequality and those  
people who vote no are just parts of the old political system or  
oligarchy in Ecuador."

Concentrating power

The opposition, beaten convincingly in last year's elections and now  
in the referendum, complain that Mr Correa acted illegally.

One of the 57 congressmen he sacked earlier this year is the head of  
the Christian Democrat party, Carlos Larrategui.

He admits that the politicians and Congress have failed the people of  
Ecuador.

"We don't oppose change," he said. "But we feel these changes are  
just concentrating power in the hands of the president, just like in  
Venezuela."

President Correa is complying with the desires of the people, as  
people want change
Gustavo Pazmiño
University lecturer
Mention of the Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, is a sensitive  
issue in Ecuador.

Mr Correa makes no secret of his friendship with his radical  
neighbour, but is quick to stress that Ecuador has its own problems  
and must find its own solutions.

Within hours of his convincing referendum victory, Mr Correa was in  
Caracas for a meeting with his Venezuelan ally.

Many analysts see similarities in what is happening in Venezuela,  
Ecuador and Bolivia - a radical overhaul of the established political  
institutions in an effort to give the poor and the marginalised a  
greater say in the running of their countries.

The United States is watching these developments with some concern.

Mr Correa talks about restructuring Ecuador's foreign debt - he has  
said he will close the US military base in the western city of Manta  
when the lease expires in a couple of years and potential investors  
are nervous about the instability.

But the convincing victory in the referendum means that Mr Correa has  
now reinforced his mandate to execute fundamental changes.

Greater voice

The first step is to call a new election to choose representatives  
for a constituent assembly.

Their job will be to rewrite the constitution, radically reforming  
the political institutions, the judiciary and the general way the  
country is run.

Their aim will be to give a greater voice to the poor, indigenous  
communities and women.

They will bypass the existing Congress and try to ensure that those  
business and political elites that have always run Ecuador have their  
power and influence curtailed.

Not surprisingly, the opposition is not happy about that. There are  
rumours of thousands of dollars being removed from the country to  
overseas accounts.

Despite the backing of the people, Mr Correa's government is well  
aware that it has a huge challenge on its hands.

His key advisor, Fernando Bustamente, said Ecuador's future was  
uncertain.

"But," he said, "the government simply can't afford to fail. All the  
elements, all the divisions are there, that if we don't succeed we'll  
be left with a failed state."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/6561961.stm

Published: 2007/04/16 21:36:57 GMT

© BBC MMVII________________________________________________
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