Socialist South American presidents meet in Quito

Monday 25 May 2009

The presidents of Ecuador, Bolivia and Venezuela have held a series of meetings in the Ecuadorian capital Quito. The three socialist presidents Rafael Correa, Evo Morales and Hugo Chávez were in Quito to commemorate the Battle of Pichincha, which heralded the end of Spanish colonisation 183 years ago.

In a speech, Ecuadorian President Correa said that in spite of the victory in 1822, Latin America still did not have real democracy. He announced a socialist revolution and further radicalisation of Ecuador, following the example of Presidents Chávez and Morales. He also made a proposal to UNASUR, the South American cooperation organisation, on behalf of all three presidents to set up a commission to protect governments from the press.

The Ecuadorian president described the press in Ecuador as a corrupt instrument of an oligarchy and as an enemy of change.