Thousands Protest Correa Government in Guayaquil
February 24, 2010
By: Benjamin Russell

Thousands of opposition supporters filled the streets of Guayaquil, earlier this month, to protest against the national government and President Rafael Correa.  The protests were in response to a call from the city’s mayor to oppose a regime he called ''a repulsive copy of that failed scheme that Chavez has imposed for the misfortune of Venezuelans.”

Approximately 40,000 protestors were on hand for Mayor Jaime Nobat’s 45-minutes speech in the largely pro-opposition city, according to America’s Quarterly.  Tensions have been high between the mayor and President Correa since the president reduced Guayaquil’s budget allocation by $17 million.  Nobat called the cut an effort to undermine the country’s opposition, according to the Associated Press.

During his speech, the mayor said there was “no democracy in Ecuador”, and asked his supporters to “fight together until the end of the dictatorship.”  Correa responded by accusing Nobat of favoring the rich at the expense of the country’s poor.  Correa, who holds a PhD in economics from the University of Illinois, was elected President of Ecuador in 2006 on a pledge to reduce social and economic inequality.  

Sources:

America’s Quarterly – Opposition Protests Hit Guayaquil

NY Times – Guayaquil March Protests Against Ecuador’s Gov’t

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