PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD CATLICA DEL ECUADOR FACULTAD DE COMUNICACIN, LINGISTICA Y LITERATURA ESCUELA DE LEAI International Foreign Policy Stalin

Tayupanta Ecuadorian International Foreign Policy Analysis 2011-2012 In January 2010 the former Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ricardo Patio assumed the charge replacing Fander Falcon. Following the anti-imperialist foreign policy, the president Correa continued to diversify the international relations of the country in political, economic, cooperation and financial aspects. This behavior in the international field (especially on financial support) was the result of the delegitmisation of the external debt that saved the country approximately 7 billion dollars (with future interest included) but it cost its IMF and World Bank accessibility for loans. In 2011 and 2012, Ecuador has searched foreign investment for the development of its strategic sectors especially from China, to the point of becoming the country with more Chinese investment in Latin America. Following this independency pattern from the United States, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs built new commercial initiatives in order to foster the opening of (non-traditional) new markets for the national industry around the world, shattering even more the US neoliberal scheme of non intervention of the state in the economy. This international commerce diversification strategy restarted the international negotiations between Ecuador and the European Union for special tariffs that still dont have any results. Additionally, the country played a protagonist role in ALBA by assuming the political economic leadership of the institution and by the creation (with Venezuela and Bolivia as principal fund providers) through the ALBA Bank of a new virtual currency named SUCRE in order to simplify the international commerce among the member countries. Continuing with the anti-imperialist ideology of the country, Ecuador has supported significantly the initiative of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States that is the first continental institution that includes all American countries except the United States and Canada. In the political aspect, the internal battle between the president Correa and the mass media was carried out to the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights due to a National Courts verdict that established the payment of 80 million dollars from the directives of diario el Universo to the president Rafael Correa due to the injuries of Alfredo Palacio in an article named No a las Mentiras. This case that was solved in February 2012 (when Correa forgave the accused people) affected the international image of Ecuador because the presidential regime was accused of political persecution and for not ensuring the freedom of speech in the country.

Due to the fact that during this process the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights protected El Universo and gave a favorable verdict to this enterprise, the President Rafael Correa and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ricardo Patio are leading an initiative for reforming the Inter-American System of Human Rights in the OAS in order to reduce the control of the United States in its institutions. In January 2012, the president of Iran made a controversial tour in Latin America in which it was included Ecuador. This rapprochement of Iran and the leftist countries in the region caused a lot of criticism from the right-wing parties in Latin America and the United States that began an international stigmatization campaign against the countries that received Ahmadinejad. Finally, among the most important events in the international environment of the country was the asylum request from the controversial founder of Wikileaks Julian Assange. Following the constitution principles of human rights protection and human mobility, Ecuador accepted this request causing the criticism of the conservative movements and the approval of the followers of Wikileaks and left-wing oriented people around the world. Julian Assange viewed by some people as one of the most representative defendant of Freedom of Speech in the world has beneficiated the international image of Ecuador regarding its antecedents with this fundamental liberty. Also, this situation gave the country a lot of relative power to in order to act in opposition to Sweden, United Kingdom and the United States. This event focused the attention of the international community in this small country for a first time and caused curiosity for people of all countries to investigate the political process in which Ecuador is passing through, gaining by this way, a lot of support and a lot of opposition as well. In conclusion, the international activity of Ecuador in 2011 and 2012 has increased due to the political disposition to sign treaties, memorandums of understanding, etc. with Latin American, Middle East and Asian Countries for different aspects. In comparison with the foreign policy analysis, for these years, Ecuador has a more defined international position characterized by regional integration (with the ratification of ALBA countries commitments) and independency from the United States control. Although this, it exist a lot of controversy in human rights respect due to the internal political struggle that exists among Alianza Pas, mass media and other political parties. This stigmatization made by the internal elites and the United States is affecting the country in many international regimes, but in contrast, the new role of Ecuador with a revolutionary leftist ideology has gained the country a certain influence in the regional and international scene.