Correa touts the ‘Ecuadorian Miracle’
In describing his country’s progress in recent years, Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa made an energetic case in support of his policies during an address at the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum at Harvard Kennedy School on Wednesday. Correa, who was first elected in 2006, has faced controversy over his support of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro (and his predecessor, Hugo Chávez), as well as his criticism of Ecuador’s media. Correa’s speech was preceded with video showing the beauty and stunning diversity of Ecuador’s natural habitat, and punctuated by visual highlights of the state’s achievements during his tenure. Between 2007 and 2013, Correa said, 1.13 million Ecuadoreans were lifted from poverty, and the incidence of extreme poverty fell from 16.9 percent to 8.6 percent, while growth averaged 4.2 percent per year. The country also claims the lowest unemployment rate in the region, 4.1 percent, and according to a U.N. development report it is one of three...