[NYTr] Ecuador's Hugo Chavez?

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

The Washington Post - October 1, 2007
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/30/AR2007093001042.html

Ecuador's Hugo Chavez?

Ecuador's new left-leaning president, Rafael Correa, studied economics
in the United States, but the U.S. way of governing does not seem to
have rubbed off on him. He appears set on following the example set by
Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez. Last week Correa sat down with
Newsweek-Washington Post's Lally Weymouth. Excerpts:

Q. People want to know if you are as anti-U.S. as your rhetoric would
indicate.

A. I lived here and have two academic diplomas from the University of
Illinois. Historically we have had very good relations with this
country, so we are not anti-American at all. We would like to improve
our commercial cooperation with the U.S.

Q . Then why do you oppose the U.S.-Ecuador trade pact?

A. Because it will destroy our agricultural sector.

Q. What is wrong with the free-trade agreement?

A. When you are trading with a country with huge subsidies for the
agricultural sector like the U.S. -- the impact of this free-trade
agreement would be dangerous for our farmers.

Q. But surely overall, the impact would be positive?

A. You are wrong. Even for Mexico, you can see a lot of problems [from
NAFTA]. The impact on small farmers is very dangerous.

Q. How close are you to Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez?

A. He is a very good friend of mine.

Q. Do you admire Chavez and think he has done a good job?

A. Yes, I think he's a very honest person -- a clear leader, a very
democratic president.

Q. You are now calling for a new constituent assembly as Chavez did.
Why?

A. We don't have a true representative democracy because our
representatives don't care about us. So we don't have means to push
them to do what people want to do.

Q. It's said that the constituent assembly will make the executive
branch stronger.

A. In our country, the executive power is very weak. . . . The
executive needs more power in order to lead the country.

Q. Why have you said that you would not renew the U.S. lease on the
base at Manta in '09?

A. You are asking me why not. I am asking you why "yes."

Q. Because it is used for anti-drug surveillance flights.

A. Ecuador is not a drug producer, and we have been very successful in
our fight against drugs. So why put a foreign military base in our
country?

Q. You have spoken about either not paying or restructuring Ecuador's
foreign debt. What is your plan?

A. We are going to pay the foreign debt as long as the situation in the
country allows us to pay it. If we don't have enough money to pay the
social claims in Ecuador, salaries, etc., and at the same time to pay
the foreign debt, our ethical and technical priorities are very clear.
First, to attempt to face the national needs, later, the foreign debt.

Q. In order to create jobs, don't you have to attract foreign direct
investment?

A. At this moment, Ecuador doesn't have external financing. We have
enough national and public savings in order to make loans to start the
growth process and employment creation.

Q. Why wouldn't it be smarter to attract foreign capital instead of
using up public savings?

A. We are not refusing foreign investment. If foreign investment wants
to come, it is welcome, but we have our own savings.

Q. So you are not going to get outside companies to come in and finance
refineries? Are they welcome to own them?

A. They are welcome, but we are counting on our own savings in the
first instance.

Q. What's the law? Are they welcome to own them or are you going to
nationalize them?

A. We prefer that the kind of business related to non-renewable
resources to be owned by the state or by public enterprises.

Q. Why do you support the seizing of the Occidental oil fields?

A. Because they broke 52 times the contract, our Ecuadorian law -- they
believe we are still a colony.

Q. What is your priority?

A. Constitutional reforms in order to have a true democracy.

Q. Didn't you crack down on the press and arrest an editor last May?

A. You have very uneducated journalists in our country.

Q. What is your idea of an uneducated journalist?

A. They believe that in order to have an interview, they have to
aggress the other person. They must learn to respect people, especially
the president of their republic.

Q. Our politicians probably don't like being attacked, but they respect
the free media.

A. I respect the media, but I also respect the rights of the other
person. You don't have the kind of journalists we do. Secondly, not all
things are good in this country. In our country, if someone calls you a
killer, a thief, a dishonest man, he must prove it; otherwise he goes
to jail. I know that here in the United States you can say a lot of
things without proof.

Q. What do you think about President Bush and your relationship with
the United States?

A. We have not had any high-level contact with this administration.

Q. Is there anything you would like the American people to know about
you?

A. Perhaps they can be convinced that we are honest people who are
doing what anyone would do in our country with huge inequalities.