Grassroots Global Justice Alliance Unequivocally Supports President Correa
and the Democratic Citizen Revolution in Ecuador and condemns the Attempted Coup
On the eve of the last day in September, President Correa had been rescued from the hospital where renegade police held him hostage. He immediately came out to thank the thousands of supporters who were waiting for his return and who stood firm against this orchestrated attack by opposition forces in the country, including ex-President Lucio Gutierrez. He was angered by the manipulation of the police when he stated that the new constitution and laws gave civil servants nearly double their pay, overtime pay for the first time in history, and overall improvements in their working conditions. This coup was a clear attempt to destabilize a process that is in transition.
The Grassroots Global Justice Alliance (GGJ) condemns the coup that threatened both President Correa’s life and the democratic citizen revolution that is in process in Ecuador.
Social movements in the US and across the world must continue to take action to support the democratic process in Ecuador and to ensure that the police-led coup does not escalate into an overthrow of Correa’s populist government. We must maintain our vigilance not only in Ecuador, but also in the other ALBA countries that have begun in their own contexts to create alternatives to the neo-liberal model.
What is clear is that the people’s movements in the streets, risking their lives against rogue police and military, guaranteed the President’s safety. The demonstrators poured into the capital and into plazas all over the country demanding Correa’s safe reinstatement and a continuation of his critical reforms.
Almost every country in the hemisphere stood firmly with the pro-democracy movement and with President Correa. And it was with this rapid response of the people and the international movements that another Honduras was prevented.
We recognize that the US government could seize this opportunity to effectively replace a left-leaning president who has presented challenges to US-led capitalism and political hegemony with one who is more friendly to US trade, development and militarization interests.
We also must raise criticism that under President Obama’s watch, this is the second ALBA country that either a coup has happened or has been threatened by a coup. We must hold this administration accountable to respecting the sovereignty of other nations and their democratic processes. We must act to support the people’s democracies throughout Latin America that are experimenting with alternatives to neo-liberalism and the commodification of Mother Earth.
· We stand in solidarity with the people of Ecuador and with all the ALBA countries that are initiating solidarity measures to protect the democratic process and denounce the Coup.
· We call on the media to remain vigilant in monitoring and reporting on the situation, particularly from the perspectives of the Ecuadorian people and the pro-democracy movement, who are bearing the brunt of police violence and repression.
· We call on President Obama and his administration to firmly commit to upholding democracy in Ecuador and condemn the coup. This includes not just making a clear statement of support for President Correa, but also pledging to sanction and not recognize an illegitimate government if another coup is attempted.
· We call on our members and allies to contact the State Department and the White House Comment and tell them to commit to cutting off all military, police and development aid to Ecuador if another coup is carried to completion.
To contact the State Department:
Email: Maria Otero, Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs, c/o Laura Pena, Assistant, PenaL state.gov
Dr. Arturo Valenzuela, Assist. Sec. of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs: ValenzuelaAA state.gov; Ambassador Craig Kelly, Principal Deputy Asst./ Secretary, Western Office of Hemisphere Affairs: KellyC state.gov
To contact White House:
Dan Restrepo, Special Asst. to the President, Western Hemisphere Affairs, drestreop nsc.eop.gov