Ecuadorian
President Lenin Moreno has made no secret of his annoyance with the
man he refers to a “hacker,” calling Assange “a stone in his
shoe” as Ecuador seeks to restructure itself as a trusted ally of
the United States.
by
Elliott Gabriel
Part
3 - Seeking favor with the “Empire”
President
Moreno has made no secret of his annoyance with the man he calls a
“hacker,” calling Assange “a stone in his shoe” as Ecuador
seeks to restructure itself as a trusted ally of the United States.
Moreno’s overtures to Washington follow a 10-year policy toward the
U.S. under the former administration of leftist economist Correa, who
sought to undo the neoliberalism and meddling imposed on the country
through a progressive movement dubbed the “Citizens’ Revolution.”
Since
coming to power last May, Moreno has sought to undo his former
leader’s legacy in a frenzied process that detractors point to as
proof of his treacherous “Judas” nature. This has included
jailing deposed Vice President Jorge Glas, a close Correa confidant,
on corruption grounds; sacking the cabinet appointed following his
election; holding a referendum for the purpose of preventing Correa
from seeking reelection; and imposing austerity measures on the
state, including the dissolution or merger of government ministries.
“One
year ago in Ecuador, the Citizens’ Revolution won [the elections]
thanks to 10 years of our extraordinary successes, but at the helm of
the country there is now a traitor who applies the program of the
Right and destroys all of our social achievements,” Correa told
Italian newspaper l’AntiDiplomatico.
The
“Judas Traidor” characterization was confirmed in the eyes of
Correistas when Ecuador inked a new security cooperation agreement
with the U.S. last month allowing a U.S. military team to renew
“anti-drug and organized-crime” operations in the country
following the mission’s expulsion in 2014 for allegedly conspiring
against the Correa administration.
Much of
the Latin American left, including Correa’s stalwarts, see the
sacrifice of Assange as a betrayal of the anti-imperialist and
anti-colonial legacy of the continent’s progressive movements.
Supporters of Moreno, however, see Assange as an obstacle to
developing Ecuador’s relations with potential partners in Europe
and North America.
Commenting
in the newspaper El Telegrafo, Father Pedro Pierre Riouffrait noted:
“It is striking that a journalist would be accused of
interference when his job is to inform. Rather, he should remain
protected and should be assisted in regaining his freedom. [Assange]
is one of those figures of world stature who is formed to live,
suffer, face accusations and slander for defending one of humanity’s
greatest causes: informing us of what exactly happens in our world
when people, nations and freedoms are destroyed.”
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