Washington’s dirty hands manipulate geopolitical events worldwide – notably in Latin America since the 19th century.
In September 2010, Washington’s attempted coup against Ecuadorean President Raphael Correa failed. A previous article asked is history repeating now?
Days of street protests continue over the phony pretext of inheritance and capital gains tax increases affecting only wealthy citizens – about 2% of the population.
At the same time, ordinary Ecuadoreans stand to benefit from announced progressive tax reform. Street protests reflect wealthy elites opposing progressive fairness – with Washington’s dirty hands manipulating things covertly like always.
In April at the Summit of the Americas in Panama, Correa denounced Washington’s sordid history of meddling lawlessly in the internal affairs of Ecuador and other Latin American countries.
“Illegal intervention still continues,” he said. “Our people will never accept the guardianship, interference or intervention (over what Washington calls the) democratization” of Latin American countries.
On Monday to restore calm, Correa delayed announced inheritance and capital gains tax increases to debate their implementation.
“We can wait,” he said. “This is not for our government. This is for future generations. Every excessive concentration of wealth is unjust.”
A national debate will show opposition forces what most Ecuadoreans support. If they can show proposed tax increases harm the nation’s poor, “I will personally ask for them to be withdrawn,” Correa said.
“Poor people are poor because of an extremely unjust society,” he stressed. On Monday, thousands of government supporters rallied en masse in Quito’s main square. They back Correa’s “Citizen Revolution.”
He said “members of the opposition want to achieve through force what they cannot achieve by the ballot box.” Beware of a coup attempt, he warned.
“We cannot forget that the violent ones, the aggressive ones, the abusive ones caused five deaths on September 30, 2010. We cannot let that happen again,” he stressed
He challenged opposition elements to try removing him by recall referendum – as constitutionally allowed. Holding one requires collecting verifiable signatures from 15% of the electorate.
Correa expressed optimism he’d win any recall election handily, if one is held. He’s too popular to be defeated legitimately.