QUITO - After making a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution, the primary initial focus of his government, President Rafael Correa said the next step is the fight against corruption.
"We will never forget the crimes committed by the bankers that left us ruined, the human rights violations and the many other offenses and theft that are still unpunished", said Correa to thunderous applause.
Correa also spoke about the situation that took place in 2000 when the debt was exchanged to benefit creditors while the nation lay in ruin, and about the law passed where the State agreed to take 100 percent responsibility of bank deposits just days before declaring a state of general bankruptcy.
The Ecuadorian president announced that economic revolution is the third major issue of the new government. Plans include renegotiating the country’s debt, a national savings campaign and investments to benefit society in general.
Correa said a concerted action of debtor countries is needed "to redefine the criteria of debt service sustainability, to determine the legitimate foreign debt, as well as to promote the creation of an international debt arbitration court".
The president added that Latin America does not only need debt pardoning. He said that as Ecuador becomes independent of the international lending organizations, it should join its reserves with those of the region and "administer them properly in the proposed Bank of the South", a financial integration project seen by progressive leaders as an urgent alternative for the region.
Correa also places changes in the country’s social policies at the top of his government’s agenda, which he says will seek growth with equity and fairness.
"This nation is one of the five Latin American countries with the least investment per inhabitant", said Correa, before explaining that education and healthcare would be priorities as well as the other urgent needs of the vulnerable sectors of the population.
Latin American integration and the recovery of dignity and sovereignty are other key issues for the new government, with a cabinet of ten men and nine women, and which takes office amid great expectations from the population.
No comments:
Post a Comment