Correa continues presidential career

President Rafael Correa of Ecuador swept to re-election yesterday (local time) in a vote that showed the broad popularity of his government’s social programs and support for the poor in a country to which he has brought stability after years of political and economic turmoil. Thousands of supporters in the main square in Quito, the capital, began celebrating shortly after voting finished at 5 p.m. (local time), when television stations announced the result of exit polls showing Mr. Correa as the runaway winner. “Many thanks for this immense trust,” Mr. Correa said from the balcony of the presidential palace. “We have never failed you, and we never will fail you.” Critics of Mr. Correa have worried that such a strong mandate would embolden him to further concentrate power and proceed with policies that could limit press freedom and quash dissent. That may be true, given that this is Latin America, but Ecuador's most important asset at the moment is Julian Assange, who is holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy in London and wishes to run for a spot in the Australian Senate. He regards his bid to become an Australian senator as a defence against potential criminal prosecution in the United States and Britain. Assange also plans to register a new political party, the WikiLeaks Party, to run Senate candidates in several Australian states.