Ecuador : An Example of American Foreign Policy or Why the World Hates Us

Thursday, July 31st, 2008 by RLR From CrossLeft By Jim Ramelis Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa wants the U. S. out of its airbase in Manta in Ecuador. The U.S. had a ten year lease with the Ecuadorian government and it ends in 2009. Monitoring and intercepting the cocaine trade was to be the base’s purpose but it is suspected operations are conducted out of the base to support our Columbian ally in its fight against leftist rebels. It is also suspected that Latin American communications are monitored from the base. Depending on the source, there 300 to 475 American troops on the base. Officially there can be up to 500 troops per the contract. President Correa is part of the Latin American “pink tide”. They are Latin America leaders elected in the last decade or so whose primary allegiance is to their own countrymen and its... [read full story]