Ecuadorian President Says the CIA is Attempting to Overthrow His Government

By Derrick Broze for The Anti-Media

(ANTIMEDIA) Over the weekend several outlets reported that Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa made comments alluding to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) “being increasingly involved in the political opposition with the avowed aim of dragging the country into chaos.” 

The reports also claim Correa stated the CIA was attempting to weaken the government through “a series of coordinated nationwide protests.”

However, Ecuador has released a statement claiming the president was speaking about the role of U.S. intelligence services meddling the county’s affairs and support of opposition groups, but not direct involvement in the recent protests.

President Correa tweeted that the AFP incorrectly reported the news and accused the news agency of distorting the truth and misrepresenting his statements.

Si las marchas de los “resistentes” hubieran sido organizadas por la CIA, no hubiesen sido tan estruendosos fracasos. AFP mintió.

— Rafael Correa (@MashiRafael) March 23, 2015

While it seems in this instance Correa’s word may have been taken out of context, it would not be too surprising if he did make the accusation. For one, there are several reasons relations between the nations have been strained in recent years. In 2013, the Ecuadorian news agency ANDES accused the CIA of plotting to assassinate Correa. Ecuador has not made many political allies in America following the 2009 decision to no longer allow the U.S. to continue to use air bases for surveillance. The country also angered American politicians by granting Wikileaks founder Julian Assange asylum in its London Embassy.

Correa may not be ready to point fingers at the CIA, but Chilean journalist Patricio Mery has claimed the CIA is running a drug operation in Chile, trafficking “about 200 kilos of cocaine per month” from Bolivia in order to fund anti-Correa operations. In recent years Italian police discovered 40 kilos of cocaine in Ecuador’s diplomatic mail. Mery believes senior Chilean officials were involved, and claims to have proof implicating the Ecuadorian government. Check out this interview for more on those allegations.

The CIA has a history of contributing to coups in Ecuador. Back in 1963, the CIA led a coup which deposed President Carlos Julio Arosemena because he criticized the United States and supported Fidel Castro’s revolution in Cuba.

But Ecuador is not the only nation the CIA has had a hand in toppling. In fact, the history of U.S. intervention and subversion is so rich that even mainstream reporters have to laugh in the face of government propaganda. Recently, State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki claimed “As a matter of long standing policy the United States does not support transitions by non-constitutional means. Political transitions must be democratic, constitutional, peaceful, and legal.”

That statement drew a laugh and legitimate questioning from Associated Press reporter Matt Lee, who could not believe what he was hearing. “I’m sorry. Whoah, whoah, whoah. The US has a long-standing practice of not promoting [coups] – how long-standing would you say?” Lee continued,“In particular in South and Latin America that is not a long-standing policy.”

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