Did You Know About the (U.S. Backed?) Coup in Ecuador?

On September 30th, there was what some call a U.S. backed coup attempt in Ecuador.  It failed.  Did the U.S. TV media cover it.  No.

Army soldiers run as they clash with striking police outside a hospital, where Ecuador's President Rafael Correa was holed up inside, in Quito September 30, 2010. Army troops stormed a hospital in Quito late on Thursday and rescued Correa, who had been trapped inside and surrounded by renegade police protesting against government austerity measures. REUTERS/Guillermo Granja (ECUADOR - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST MILITARY)

According to several western media sources, the violence happened as a result of the Ecuadorian government making tough economic decisions that affected many workers, including police.  However, Russia Today interviewed several people who said many of the disaffected groups, involved in the coup, get money from U.S. agencies.  Also, police said they were rebelling because their benefits were being cut, but, according to Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, benefits have not been cut, and police pay has actually been increased; “Presumably, a certain part of society – in this case, armed people, national police – expressed their discontent with the new law they haven’t even read to the end.”

Army soldiers run as they clash with striking police outside a hospital, where Ecuador's President Rafael Correa was holed up inside, in Quito September 30, 2010. Army troops stormed a hospital in Quito late on Thursday and rescued Correa, who had been trapped inside and surrounded by renegade police protesting against government austerity measures. REUTERS/Guillermo Granja (ECUADOR - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST MILITARY IMAGES OF THE DAY)

The Ecuadorian Army put down the coup attempt by, what some say were police officers backed by U.S. interests.  President Correa said they have intelligence that shows that several groups went to the United States just days before the coup.  Those groups met with right wing political groups in the U.S., where it’s believed they received funding for a coup attempt.  Mmmm, isn’t that sponsoring international terrorism, by the very country leading the War on Terror?

Military personnel patrol the street in armoured vehicles, in Quito October 5, 2010. Ecuador's President Rafael Correa issued a decree on Tuesday extending the country's state of alert, which lets the army patrol the streets, until October 8. REUTERS/Guillermo Granja (ECUADOR - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST MILITARY)

There is a state of emergency in Ecuador. The streets are being patrolled by the Army.  Question: If so many Ecuadorians didn’t like their President, why did so many unarmed civilians come out in defense of him?

People stage a rally in support of Ecuador's President Rafael Correa in Buenos Aires October 1, 2010. Latin American leaders condemned unrest in Ecuador Thursday and threw their support behind Correa as he faced crowds of police protesting over austerity plans. REUTERS/Enrique Marcarian(ARGENTINA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST)

Who is President Rafael Vicente Correa Delgado? He is what greedy neo-con right wingers in the United States hate: An Economist, and Socialist, who fought against (mainly U.S.) creditors, claiming that the many debts against Ecuador were illegal.  He also kicked out the World Bank’s Ecuadorian manager.  He is the current President of the Union of South American Nations (bet most people in the U.S. don’t know the South American countries united back in 2008).  In other words, take out Correa and you kill two birds with one stone.

Ecuador's President Rafael Correa gives a news conference inside the Carondolet Palace, after army soldiers rescued him from the hands of striking police, in Quito September 30, 2010. Army troops stormed a hospital in Quito late on Thursday and rescued Correa, who had been trapped inside and surrounded by renegade police protesting against government austerity measures. REUTERS/Guillermo Granja (ECUADOR - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST MILITARY)