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Ecuador's Correa: leftist Christian or communist devil?
By Patrick Moser
AFP
QUITO
Petroleumworld.com 11 24 06
Ecuadoran presidential hopeful Rafael Correa 43, describes himself as a "humanist, leftist Christian." His conservative rival in Sunday's run-off election prefers to call him "a communist devil."
A former finance minister educated in the United States and Europe, Correa considers US President George W. Bush a "dimwit" and professes admiration for Venezuela's firebrand leftist leader Hugo Chavez.
Like Chavez, the leftist economist wants to limit free market policies to increase funds for the poor.
He is also pushing for the creation of an elected assembly that would rewrite the constitution, as was done in Venezuela.
Correa has suggested Ecuador default on its debt, wants to renegotiate contracts with foreign firms, and opposes a free trade deal with the United States.
"I am a humanist because politics and economy should serve the people, Christian because I am nurtured by the church's social justice teachings, and leftist because I believe in equity, justice and the supremacy of work over capital," he says.
Correa has vowed to shut down the US military base in the Ecuadoran port city of Manta, where 400 US troops are stationed.
A charismatic, ever-smiling speaker, he likes to brandish a belt at his electoral rallies, to symbolize the flogging he vows to give the "corrupt elites" he says got rich on the back of the Ecuadoran people.
His anti-establishment platform struck a chord among Ecuadorans disenchanted with endemic poverty and political instability in a country that has had seven presidents over the past decade.
But he eventually toned down his rhetoric after taking second place to conservative Alvaro Noboa in the October 15 first round of voting, admitting that his comments about Bush were "imprudent" and saying Ecuador would maintain ties with all nations.
Dismissed by his rival as a Chavez puppet, Correa has distanced himself somewhat from the Venezuelan leader, but stressed the leftist president remained a close friend.
Correa conceded Chavez had no business stating publicly that Noboa got rich using child labor and exploiting workers, though he insisted the claim was correct.
Born on April 6, 1963, Correa got a masters degree in economics from the Catholic University of Leuven, in Belgium and a doctorate from the University of Illinois.
He learned the indigenous Quechua language during a stint as a volunteer in a remote highland town, something that has served him well when campaigning in rural areas, where mistrust of mainstream -- and Spanish-speaking -- politicians often runs high.
Correa spent much of his professional career teaching economics. In 2005 he served as economy and finance minister, but was forced to quit after less than four months amid controversy over a deal to get a loan from Chavez, which he allegedly brokered behind the back of Ecuadoran President Alfredo Palacio.
AFP 23 1105 GMT 11 06
Copyright© 2006 AFP. All Rights Reserved.
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