Inauguration in Ecuador

Rafael Correa’s inauguration was relatively tame, and Ahmadinejad’s mini-tour of Latin America did not yield some sort of anti-U.S. alliance. The U.S. press generally played up Correa’s criticism of U.S. policy, even while admitting it has not been extreme.

And really, his overall message is hard to contradict. Corruption is rampant, foreign debt has become an unbearable weight, poverty is serious, and U.S. policies are not necessarily consistent with Ecuador’s interests. Let’s just see what happens with his call for a new constitution, as that has become one of the most problematic issues in Bolivia.