ecuador president

In the Andean Parliament as a member of PAIS Alliance, President Rafael Correa鈥檚 left-wing party, Rosa Mireya Cardenas,聽a member of Alfaro Vive Carajo, a former Marxist guerrilla group, will be working to promote gender equality, fair trade and the work of social organisations, among other initiatives.

But with Ecuador鈥檚 second round of presidential elections slated to take place on April 2, the country stands at a critical crossroads.

National sovereignty is an undervalued asset in today鈥檚 world, especially in the international media, where the views of Washington and its allies largely prevail. This is true with regard to economic as well as political issues, and its consequences can be quite heavy in a region like Latin America, long regarded by US officials as their 鈥渂ack yard.鈥

The election in Ecuador is being watched as well as contested by forces that have opposing views on this question.聽

Reflecting on recent experiences of dealing with the right鈥檚 return to power in their own countries, close to 100 social movements and activists from Brazil and Argentina have signed a statement calling on the people of Ecuador to vote against right-wing neoliberal banker Gulliermo Lasso in the second round presidential run-off scheduled for April 2.聽

Among them are activists from Via Campesina, the Rural Landless Workers Movement (MST), the Popular Brazil Front (FBP) the United Workers Central (CUT), the Argentine Workers Central union confederation (CTA) and the Association of State Employees (ATE Capital).

Tasmania bans fracking for five years The Tasmanian Liberal government will extend the ban on gas fracking until 2020 the minister for primary industries Jeremy Rockliff said on February 26. He said the ban was needed to protect the $1 billion a year agriculture industry and 鈥減rotect Tasmania's reputation for producing fresh, premium and safe produce.鈥 The move has been backed by the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers' Association, Dairy Australia and Wine Tasmania as well as the Greens. RADICAL CANDIDATE CHALLENGES CHICAGO MAYOR