by Enrico Tortolano
RAFAEL CORREA, the president of Ecuador, has ordered the expulsion of a US embassy official, accusing him of treating the country like an American colony. Speaking on his weekly radio and television programme, Mr Correa said the US official wanted to link economic aid to Ecuador with Washington choosing the head of the country’s anti-contraband police.
The president said: “I am giving this gentleman 48 hours to grab his suitcase and get out of the country. We are not going to accept anyone treating us like a colony.”
Mr Correa accused the US diplomat of suspending $340,000 in annual aid because Ecuador would not allow the US to veto appointments to the anti-smuggling police.
A US Embassy spokeswoman said the official in question, Armando Astorga, the immigration and customs enforcement attaché, left the country in early January when his assignment ended, and added that the suspension of aid was a US government decision.
However, Ecuador’s president said Mr Astorga announced the suspension of aid to Ecuador’s anti-contraband police in a letter dated January 8 that also demanded they return all donated equipment including vehicles, cameras and phones.
Mr Correa said Mr Astorga also warned in the letter, addressed to Ecuador’s police chief, that $160,000 in annual aid to the human trafficking unit “is being reconsidered”.
“Mr Astorga, keep your dirty money, we don’t need it. Here there is sovereignty and dignity,” Mr Correa said in his weekly address, calling the American “insolent and foolish”.
Mr Correa has a 70 per cent approval rating among the population and is expected to win the presidential election in April.
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