The management of the former socialist dictator Rafael Correa in Ecuador, since his rise to power in 2007, is known as the "Citizen's Revolution," a series of reforms that sought to impose a dictatorial socialist regime in the country.
However, after a decade of government, only a legacy marked by authoritarianism, corruption, and the destruction of the country's democratic foundations remained.
Correa's political practices and the power dynamics of his regime made it clear that his vision of "21st-century socialism" was the excuse to consolidate his own control and enrich his close circle, as always happens with leftist politicians.
Media control and persecution of the opposition
From the beginning of his term, Correa presented himself as a popular leader, promoting a discourse against the "corrupt elites" and using his oratory in the "sabatinas" – weekly broadcasts on national television – to cultivate his dictatorial cult of personality.
These broadcasts not only served to expose his false "achievements," but also to attack and persecute the opposition, the media, and any figure who dared to question his regime.
This control over the media and the state apparatus was one of the essential pillars of the self-proclaimed "Citizen's Revolution," as documented by Ecuadorian journalists Mónica Almeida and Ana Karina López in their book "The Failed Revolution." According to the authors, propaganda, ideologization, espionage, and corruption were the main characteristics of the Correa regime.
One of the most critical aspects of Correa's presidency was his treatment of the opposition and the press. The persecution of journalists, the use of intelligence services to spy on opponents, and the judicial manipulation to silence those who did not align with his political vision were common practices.
The case of the "sabatinas" is a clear example of how Correa used state resources to impose his lies and exert control over information, while persecuting his critics and distorting reality.
Ideology and educational manipulation in the service of power
The ideology underlying the "Citizen's Revolution" was also a tool to consolidate power, not to benefit the Ecuadorian people. Correa used the educational system to impose his political vision, altering textbooks and promoting a message of "struggle against the elites."
Although his government falsely presented itself as a "defender of the poor," the policies implemented mainly benefited the large interests close to the regime. The anti-oligarchic discourse turned out to be a justification for the concentration of power and the manipulation of institutions in favor of his political group.
Corruption as the engine of the Correa regime
The large amount of corruption, one of the most serious problems during Correa's administration, is another central theme in the analysis of his legacy. The "Bribes 2012-2016" case is irrefutable proof of the illegality in which the regime operated.
High-ranking officials, including Correa himself, were part of a bribery network that financed his party, Alianza PAIS, at the expense of public resources.
Correa's conviction in 2020 for this scandal, along with the disqualification of him and his vice president Jorge Glas from entering the United States due to their involvement in acts of corruption, highlights the darkness of Rafael Correa's socialist regime.
The fact that Correa escaped to Belgium after his corruption conviction and obtained political asylum, thus evading Ecuadorian justice, reflects the authoritarian and corrupt nature of him and his government.
The former dictator Correa and his entourage enriched themselves at the expense of the Ecuadorian people, leaving a plundered country, with weakened institutions, and a seriously compromised democracy.
The "Citizen's Revolution" was nothing more than a project of power concentration and personal enrichment, accompanied by socialist reforms that sought to destroy the country. All this, alongside his authoritarian methods and the multiple corruption allegations that characterized his management.
According to Ecuadorian authorities, corruption during Rafael Correa's decade of government (2007-2017) amounts to figures that local and international organizations estimate between 30,000 and 70,000 million dollars in damages to the state.
