A socialist that has alined his country with Venezuela and Bolivia, Correa has followed a intensive program of reforms and transformations that have given to him a high rank of popularity.

Although rumors of fraud have not been demonstrated, most Ecuadorians have prefered the leader who has led their nation since January 2007. He will be president again until 2013 and he won the position with 51.9 percent of votes that avoid a second round. He defeated former president Lucio Gutierrez who got a 28 percent of voting, according to the National Election Council.

In the haste of the moment, when the numbers were in his benefit, Correa proclaimed victory and promised a socialist proyect in benefit of the poor.

In Spain

If Ecuador was for three centuries a colony of Spain, Ecuadorian colonies in Spain are the feauture of the 21srt century. The Iberian territory is the primary destiny of migration of Ecuadorians and the first migrant group in Spain.

For this reason, the presidencial elections of Ecuador were particularly important in the Spaniard territory were Ecuadorians gave their votes to Correa as well.

The 64.73 percent of Ecuadorians in Spain gave their votes to president Correa, according to the National Electoral Council

Spaniard-Ecuadorians voted also for Alvaro Noboa, a millionare and former presidencial candidate that got in Spain the 16.89 percent, while Gutiérrez is popular in the Iberic peninsula only with a 9.64 percent.

Alleged fraud

Omar Simons, president of the National Elections Council (CEN), said to the press that the process was transparent and dismissed any suggestion of possible fraud:

“El sistema es absolutamente seguro y auditable, tienen acceso a toda la información todos los actores políticos”

“The system is absolutly secure and auditable, all the political actors have acces to all the information”

Simons called the country to calm and said that the lost of any candidate is not reason to create suspicion and mistrust.

Former president and candidate Lucio Gutierrez denounced last Sunday, after results were known, that the reelection of Correa was fraudulent. He even proposed the celebration of a new poll.

Lucio Gutierrez, who was president of Ecuador between 2003 and 2005, was the second candidate with more votes after Correa. The former president referred as “thieves” the current government and showed before camaras of television papers that were manipulated against him, according to his words.

Ecuador for Correa

Ecuador, a South American nation between the coasts of the Pacific Ocean, the Andes region and the Amazon basin, is one of the smallests of the region as poorest. Its democracy has been fragile during the last decades, while economics has been a very strong issue in its political conflicts.

In 2006 Rafael Correa, a leftis candidate, won elections, defeating Alvaro Noboa. He began with reforms to the political traditions of the country under socialist proposals like the change of the national constitution after the 2008 referendum.

Parties are fragmentary, though Alianza Pais, the one of president Correa, has reached a national level.

Ecuador has a dollarized economy since 2000 by the action of president Mahuad, a policy that has not the simpaty of Correa. However, to change dollarization has been considered costly at this time, though it will create bigger pressures on the Ecuadorian economy under the current financial crisis.