Some words:
radical=root. Ecuador continues to nurture the legitimate root of life free from the intensified 500 year old colonization - now neo-colonization OF predatory extraction by the fractional reserve banking model.

The alternative to Rio+20 in June provides alternative visions and terminologies that are worth savoring and considering.
http://rio20.net/en/propuestas/the-american-peoples-new-economic-charter

Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature - SIGN A PETITION
http://therightsofnature.org/

This is the first piece of good I have heard in while, please do not spoil it. If that country survives in its current state and keeps progressing it will indeed be cause for elation.

So, overall, the core of Ecuador's success is being what the US-right calls a "tree hugging tax-and-spend liberal".

what's important for amerikans to realize is that this nightmare of corporations and endless war in which we live is not the way of the world

it is our way and we are in most parts of the world but that is another thing

we live in spiritual darkness - despite the plethora of life hating christians all around - thanks to bankster terrorists like b of a and goldman sachs and greedy corporations runs by psychopaths

in south amerika they have leaders like correa and chavez who actually improve life for all of its citizens

that's why we hate them so much and that is why the pentagon is planning to attack them all

kill those fuckers!

like chomsky says - amerika is more ruthless than the mafia and they will not tolerate freedom anywhere in this world

this hatred of life in amerika is now focused inward with pipa, sopa, gmo's vaccines and the war on terror

all led by the nwo puppet barak romney or mitt obummer

the gop primary has been hilarious - can't vote for the mormon - can't vote for the totally evil gingrich and santorum well forget him totally

ron paul is so excluded that if someone shot him in the head during one of the endless debates fox and cnn wouldn't cover it

a lot of governments are trying to free their people and a lot of governments are
choking the life out of their citizens

hmmmmmmmmm

Luckily there are some in the world (and even some elites) who recognize that what is good for all is actually good for all. Yeah, I know, who would a thunk it? Also, it truly helps to have the right person come along at the right time to focus frustration in a meaningful way. It's likely lucky that Ecuador did not have to overcome a quite sophisticated right-wing echo machine such as in the US. I would point out too that leaving some $100/barrel oil in the ground is smart economics. In not too many years they can sell it for $ 500/barrel or even much higher.

I was in Ecuador in 2007, and it was an amazing place to be at that time...To witness Correa say "NO" to imperialists. Yet despite the positive changes, the Ecuadorian Amazon is in danger of being despoiled by oil interests. The Achuar people are willing to risk their lives to protect the rainforest... Here is a short (60 second) video on the subject, made by The Pachamama Alliance:

http://vimeo.com/33753861

Five million acres of Ecuadorian rainforest are currenlty being negotiated for oil exploration. Thank you esabi for opening my eyes and ruining my day.

"A hallmark of the changes that have occurred since then is that major policies have first been put through the referendum process. This has given the government the political ability to take on major vested interests and powerful lobbies."

Enough said.

Direct democracy

Sadly, " the government's approach, made possible by a constitution remarkable for its recognition of human rights and the rights of nature, and its acceptance of plurality and cultural diversity" will only " halt plans to mine the oilfield if it could raise 50% of the $7.6bn revenue being lost by not mining the oil" from "An alliance of European local authorities, national governments, US film stars, Japanese shops, soft drink companies and Russian foundations" who "raised $116m (£75m)," which is only "enough to temporarily halt the exploitation of the 722 square miles of "core" Amazonian rainforest known as Yasuní national park" http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/dec/30/ecuador-paid-rainforest-oil-alliance?intcmp=239
Geez, what is wrong with this picture?

I went to Ecuador in 2009 and volunteered at a conservation reserve and an organic farm. It was a wonderful experience learning about Ecuadorian history from the Ecuadorian's themselves, rather than from the slanted lens of some US authored book.

The one aspect of this article that is missing is how this whole change happened - massive populist pressure from below. While in Ecuador, I learned about the CONAIE (The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities). The indigenous of Ecuador consist of about 12 nationality groups and are 2 million plus strong now that they organized themselves into one movement. Even with their differences of culture they were able to resist the urge to stay divided. I have since continued to learn more about them from a research project I wrote in my anthropology class. If you have the time... read more about their movement, and how they organized to affect real change in Ecuador. Check out how they single-handedly stopped the Agrarian Reform Law of 1994 through mass protests, occupations and sit-ins. This group is so unbelievably inspiring because they represent mainly the rural and poorest of the country. And by organizing they gave these people a voice in the national discourse. They are a force that can no longer be ignored. The whole reason pluri-nationalism and the rights of nature are in the new Ecuadorian Constitution is a direct result of their voice finally being heard.

Read about them here:
http://www.conaie.org/ (if you are bi-lingual google will translate it for you)
http://conaie.nativeweb.org/

Jayati Ghosh wrote... "There are bound to be conflicts with those whose profits and power are threatened, as well as other hurdles along the way."

- Yes, there is a guy named Alvaro Noboa who still has an immense amount of wealth and power in this country. Noboa is a billionaire banana magnate, and still owns the majority of the banana plantations in Ecuador. In fact, the reason USAns get a cheap year-round banana supply is directly related to him (he owns the shipping company that ships them up here... and which then takes US exports of grains, corn and rice back to them) He still has an immense amount of pull in this country. When Noboa ran for the 2006 presidency against Correa he literally was handing out $20 bills to the poorer communities to try and win over votes.

The other major issue that Ecuador faces is how to develop in a world where the extractive economy is the only way to fund modernization projects. Even with all of the good changes in Ecuador the development model is the same - extract natural resources and sell them in the world market. Because of this the "rights of nature" is being ignored by the Correa gov't.

Read this interview of Alberto Acosta (former Minister of Energy and Mines, and the ex-President of the Constitutional Assembly) to get an idea of why this is a huge problem.

http://upsidedownworld.org/main/ecuador-archives-49/2586-ecuadors-economy-under-rafael-correa-twenty-first-century-socialism-or-the-new-extractivism--an-inteview-with-alberto-acosta

Correa has also had to face a historically fractious political scene especially on the left where indigenous groups have been instrumental in bringing down government after government in the last decade. Like Morales, he's had to navigate the very difficult maze between socio-economic development and resource conservation in an impoverished economy with a malfunctioning state. The fact that they've had any success in such a short time period despite the inevitable contradictions, is a huge step forward.

Hope Ecuador doesn't end up going the route of Chile under Salvadore Allende with the CIA going in to destabilize the place, foment a fake revolution, and put someone like Pinochet in there to undo everything. Given that the U.S. Secret Government has a long history of doing exactly that sort of thing, it is definitely something to keep an eye on.

Oh and they also got rid of the country's sole US military base in 2009.

Oh, yeah. Ecuador is the most happening place on Earth. That would be the reason why my best's friend's significant other, born and raised in Ecuador, visits and can't wait to get the hell out of there due to the poverty, the power outages, the scarcity. He goes there on a regular basis to visit his immediate family and to help them because they live in abject poverty. But even that is great, of course!

But the grass is always greener on the other side. If you're in Ecuador, the US is the greatest place on Earth. If you're in the US, Ecuador happens to be the greatest place on Earth (second to Cuba, of course). The real moral of the story here is how creative our minds are and how we fabricate bubbles of fantasy in order to cope with the ugly realty that surrounds us, be it in Ecuador or the US. And the worse things get, the more we fantasize and the greener the other side becomes.

By the end of the U S A's Obama regime this too shall pass.

>>esabi wrote: "Yet despite the positive changes, the Ecuadorian Amazon is in danger of being despoiled by oil interests. The Achuar people are willing to risk their lives to protect the rainforest... "<<

It's hard to get such a worrying development (and a few others like it) heard in the middle of a gushing, euphoric chatter. The euphoria is primarily over what looks to be moves towards social justice, due to a few significant victories where the people made it clear that they value environmental preservation over short term profits, but most likely due to a misplaced optimism over Rafael Correa's left credentials.

But what all this gushing, such as that by this author, misses or downplays, is the continuing threat to whatever is left of the rainforests in Ecuador and the continuing fears of the indigenous people in Ecuador about preserving whatever little is left of the place they call home.

From "Whither Ecuador? An Interview with Indigenous Activist and Politician Monica Chuji":
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/ecuador-archives-49/1563-whither-ecuador-an-interview-with-indigenous-activist-and-politician-monica-chuji

>>Another clear example is ITT. The Taegheri and Taromenane peoples [in voluntary isolation] live in the Ishpingo-Tambococha-Tiputini area. This is the Huaorani people's territory. Ecuador's indigenous people, in accord with international agreements and the 1998 constitution, asked for this area to be protected. The President, who is very intelligent, said, "Great. Let's leave the oil underground and see how many countries will supplement the $500 million a year we would lose." He knew that this would be very difficult to accomplish.

Q: Will the new constitution help protect these areas?

The same sort of doublespeak continued into the Assembly. We have an article that states 'Exploitation in protected areas is prohibited. But, in exceptional circumstances, the President of the Republic, with the permission of Congress, can exploit.' He knows that he'll have a political majority and will be allowed to exploit the ITT or whatever protected area. We opposed this, but couldn't muster the votes. The majority of people in Alianza País are people who obey, who have electoral ambitions. They follow what the president and the [party] executive committee say.

Q: What do you think are the most worrying things about Correa?

The people mobilized in Dayuma and were repressed. There was a mobilization in Cuenca against mining projects and the president got on the radio and said, 'If twenty of these crazy ecologists are protesting, I'll call 20,000, or 200,000, residents to confront them.' What is this? What sort of regime is this? This is socialism of the 21st century?<<

From "Danger Ahead: Correa Gives Mining the Green Light in Ecuador":
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/ecuador-archives-49/1575-danger-ahead-correa-gives-mining-the-green-light-in-ecuador

>>"Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, a left-of-centre economist, has been celebrating a major victory since the new Ecuadorian constitution passed with 64% approval on Sept. 28. It expands access to social services for Ecuadorians and grants them the right to water, as well as highly lauded rights for nature.

There is a "danger," however, to the realization of his political project says Correa, and it is neither the old oligarchy nor transnational corporations that continue to have a strong influence.

Speaking during a recent national radio address he said that the real threat lies among the "infantile" and "fundamentalist" environmental, indigenous and leftist groups who are staunchly opposed to metal mining.

"It's absurd to be seated on hundreds of billions of dollars and for romantic notions, novelty, fixations or whatever, to say no to mining. Yes to mining, but to environmentally, socially and economically responsible mining," said Correa."<<

From"Amazon Oil Expansion in Ecuador's Southern Rainforests"
http://amazonwatch.org/work/challenging-emerging-threats-in-ecuador

In August 2010, while the Ecuadorian government made strides in advancing the historic Yasuni-ITT proposal to keep three major oil reserves permanently underground beneath Yasuni National Park, news began to leak that President Correa harbors no plans of keeping the rest of the country's oil in the ground. According to reports, the administration plans to offer 11 oil blocks up for bid come April 2011, all of which are in Ecuador's southeastern Amazon.

These lands are the ancestral territories of the Kichwa, Achuar, and Shuar, who have fought off previous efforts to sell off their homelands and pledged renewed resistance to any oil projects in their territory.

From "Ecuador Charges Indigenous Activists with Terrorism"
http://amazonwatch.org/news/2011/0919-ecuador-charges-indigenous-activists-with-terrorism

Defending sacred sites and the environment can land you in jail for being a terrorist, according to indigenous activists in Ecuador.

"There are about 200 cases against indigenous activists, campesinos, mextizos and other leaders," Pepe Acacho, Vice President of CONAIE, the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities in Ecuador, told Deutsche Welle.

Acacho, who is also a Shuar leader, faces 16 years in prison for blockading the street during a demonstration against a proposed water law in 2009. The law would have ended collective management of water in indigenous communities, a centuries-old practice. Acacho said that he was arrested with 40 other protesters and charged with terrorism.

(Continued below)

It's so thrilling to read about positive developments around the world. Many have come recently out of Latin America. Latin Americans surely deserve some successes. They have lived under the oppression first of Spanish imperialism, then Merkan imperialism. They have kept alive their socialist souls through it. Great for them. This article provides us sort of a lesson in human nature. Only from the perspective such articles provide can we see through Merkan imperial propaganda. We see first that we can have an ongoing media narrative based on questions like this: "Ok, who's standing up next, after Bolivia, Venezuela, and now Ecuador?" I want to know, don't you? Another question - "Ok, isn't it obvious that India and China being so large, like the USA, are moving toward the same kind of econo-imperialist funk that plagues the USA? Doesn't this suggest that too big to fail is actually too big to trust?" Naturally, our far-left prescription of LOCALISM addresses this "too large" dysfunction, ehh? We need LOTS more information like this article conveys. This is exactly why Merkan elites suppress it. The future belongs to those who find a way to beat the elites back into their cages. Watch Latin America.

My impressions from living in Ecuador for the last six months and seeing first hand the depredations of the oil and mining industries here it is my opinion that alcyon's comments are accurate. Correa is a clever politician who is determined to spend just enough of the money earned from these ecologically devastating extractive industries on social programs to continue receiving support from his base, primarily composed of the urban poor and much of the educated liberal class. Meanwhile, despite his silvery environmental rhetoric, it is the open door for oil and mining industries (largely Canadian and Chinese) in the Amazon, guaranteeing wholesale, virtually irreversible environmental destruction and further evisceration of indigenous rights and culture. At least Correa is not turning his back on the poor (except for the indigenous community, an old story here) and is part of the welcome trend seeing South American distance itself from el monstruo del norte. But in the end Ecuador is making the same Faustian bargain the developed world has embraced with such catastrophic results. They will enjoy the riches torn and bled from the earth for a short while but in the end bemoan the true treasures they have lost. Ecuador a developing utopia? Ask the Amazon. Ask an indigenous person. You'll get a different perspective.

Ecuador must keep a weather eye to el norte. The US will try and destabilize
the government the same way they did in Venezuela and Bolivia over the last few years. They need to partner with the other progressive countries in South America and develop a joint state security service whose single charter is to liquidate US intelligence assets before they can get any traction to institute a coup. Honduras, Haiti, Panama are all victims of CIA Coups. Gadaffi didn't react fast enough either. Luckily Assad is reacting and has Russian help. Ecuador must prepare and keep breaking up US efforts before they can do much damage. Exposing them publicly
will keep Washington on the defensive. The United States cannot be allowed to wreck yet another flourishing democracy.