Portside

In the recent weeks leading up to Pope Francis’ July 5 visit to Ecuador, the right-wing opposition has staged increasingly violent protests against President Rafael Correa’s government. Correa, who was re-elected in 2013 with 57% of the vote, has likened the opposition tactics of “mobilizations, provocations, victimizations,” to those used by the Venezuelan opposition. (In a 2010 attempted coup, President Correa was injured and held captive for 12 hours.)

Ecuador will take legal action against an oil company and an American research center for the use of genetic material obtained illegitimately from indigenous peoples.

Rightwing parties in Latin America give themselves populist names, keep the manifesto rhetoric modest and talk of appealing to the street. But they aren’t winning many votes. Meanwhile business is learning to work with governments of the left.

Latin American leaders are reclaiming a right to differentiate their views from Washington's—and refusing to render it diplomatic tribute.

The government's crackdown on whistleblowers is a direct threat to our efforts to reform U.S. foreign policy to make it more just. Faced with the threat of persecution by the U.S., NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has applied to the government of Ecuador for political asylum. He has also called attention to the extent to which national security operations have been privatized. Join in urging President Correa to grant Snowden's asylum request by signing the petition below

A refreshingly principled stand by a small country against a powerful nation engaged in what many see as the political persecution of one of its own citizens.

Not only have leaders from Ecuador to Venezuela delivered huge social gains - they keep winning elections too