Rafael Correa, a leftwing economist and ally of Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, is trouncing his right wing opponent in the runoff for president of Ecuador.
Politics in the Zeros
"A republic, if you can keep it." Defeat MAGA
Politics in the Zeros
"A republic, if you can keep it." Defeat MAGA
Pink tide is more a journalistic phrase than an accurate description of what’s happening on the ground, since it usually includes Chile–¡neoliberal Chile!–in with them. While the rightest candidate was cut from the Dubya mold, the “leftist” candidate has promised to keep dollar parity and follow the free-trade agreement with the United States. Further, he has no party support as such in the Ecuadorial congress, and the country seems to be about as sharply divided as the US and Mexico between conservative and not-so-conserative areas. So it’s nice that we didn’t get another cretin in the area (Hugo Chávez is quite enough for any continent), but the ability of this president to accomplish significant change is probably about as likely as GarcÃÂÂa making much headway in Perú.
Ironicially, one of the greatest steps forward for the region has not been reported in either mainstream media in the US or by the bloggers–the fall of the “pertetual reelection” Peronists in Argentina, who were busy trying to amend the local constitutions to permit unrestricted reelections. Théy’ve gotten trounced ina half as dozen provinces and the governor of Buenos Aires Province, where a third of the population of the country lives, is stepping down rather than trying to make his office a sinicure. All done by hard, grass-roots organizing on the local level and creating alliances among groups with somewhat difference points of view. Saul Alinksky must be smiling, wherever he is.