Gringo Tree- Saturday August 24, 2013- Is Correa Turning Right?

Rafael Correa's politics baffle the pundits; elected as a socialist, many see a recent sharp turn to the right

Posted By Admin | Published: August 24, 2013 00:36

Although he claims to be a socialist, Ecuador president Rafael Correa increasingly defies the standard political labels. Many of his opponents claim his tendencies in recent months have been decidedly to the right.

Loyalists of President Rafael Correa’s “Citizens’ Revolution” have had to face some jarring decisions since he took office for a third time on May 24. In June, a phone call from Joe Biden, America’s vice-president, sufficed for him to leave Edward Snowden, an ex-CIA whistleblower, at a Moscow airport instead of offering asylum. He has switched from opposing to advocating free-trade talks with the European Union. His government has made it harder for people to obtain asylum. That has irked human-rights groups, which have also blasted his Putinesque decision to vet non-governmental organizations....read more: http://www.cuencahighlife.com/post/2013/08/24/Rafael-Correas-politics-baffle-the-pundits3b-widely-seen-as-a-socialist-many-see-a-sharp-turn-to-the-right.aspx