Ecuador Expels US Diplomat

By: Jacob Simkins

BBC is reporting that Ecuador has expelled a senior US diplomat after accusations that he had suspended Aid to Ecuador's anti-drug program. Rafael Correa, Ecuador's popular left-wing leader, accused diplomat Armando Astorga, who had already left the country, of treating Ecuador like a colony. The US embassy has denied any wrongdoing on the part of Astorga.

However, Ecuador under Correa and the United States have decent relations with one another, and the conflicts that have occurred have been low-key compared to other left-wing governments in Latin America.

The past week, Correa has gone on a television campaign accusing the U.S. government of attaching conditions, including the right to appoint the head of the anti-narcotics department of the police force, with Mr. Astorga as the key negotiator. The U.S. and Ecuador have clashed over drug policy, most notable Ecuador's refusal to renew airbase leases, from which the US mounts anti-narcotic missions.