President Correa on Assange in a recent interview.

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15. UN Secretary General, Ban commends Ecuador’s efforts on democracy, human rights, environment

The UN disagrees with Amnesty, especially on the issue of the police who were NOT demonstrating against pay cuts, they were outraged that the corruption and treason in their ranks, taking bribes from a foreign nation, namely the US in this case, had been exposed and the BRIBES, not PAY CUTS, had ended.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=37531&Cr=Ecuador&Cr1

Ban commends Ecuador’s efforts on democracy, human rights, environment

Mr. Correa had to be taken to the hospital at that time after being hit by tear gas during a demonstration in Quito related to Government measures aimed at cutting some benefits for public servants such as police officers.

“At the time, I expressed my support for Ecuador’s democratic institutions and its elected Government. I am here now to stand with the Government and people of Ecuador,” Mr. Ban stated.

“I trust that with dialogue, Ecuador will continue to strengthen its institutions… advance development… and forge solidarity.”

He saluted Mr. Correa’s efforts to bring stability to the country since taking office four years ago, as well as the country’s engagement on human rights, stating that its open invitation to UN human rights experts is a “model” for other countries to follow.

Amnesty got it wrong, especially on the issue of the police.

AI has itself been criticized for having a Western bias due to the fact that 20% of its funding comes from Western Powers.

Their response to this allegation is that they ONLY report on countries that are relatively free and democratic, like Ecuador eg, and the US itself, because it is easier to get information on Democratic Countries.

Regarding their report on the Police, they either did not have the correct information or their sources were from the US.

The FACT is that when Correa took office in 2007, he became aware of the fact that members of the police were betraying Ecuador by giving information to the US Embassy. Remember who was the US President at that time, AND his connections to Ecuador's right wing, plus his purchase of land there, later negated by the Correa government.

The Wikileaks cables revealed a lot about US efforts to destabilize Latin American governments, like Ecuador's. We have 'interests' in these countries, mostly their resources which we seem to think belong to us. They beg to differ.

The police demonstrations:

These were in opposition to Correa's cutting off Western Funding, facilitated by the US Embassy under Bush. They were NOT as portrayed by AI, simply protests against salary cuts. The Government cut of BRIBES. Corruption!

Then an attempted coup took place. Correa survived this coup and the Government began an investigation into the treasonous attempted coup, as any Democratic nation has a right to do.

No western influenced organization can be trusted to report on the ME, Africa or South America.

This faulty report by Amnesty is proof of that.

Again, you continue to try to divert attention away from the issues.

Let me try to bring it back. Assange, who is no stranger to being on the run from brutal dictatorships, long before anyone in the US ever heard of him, for exposing their corruption and crimes, chose Ecuador to apply for asylum.

Why would he do that, a man who knows more about human rights abuses around the globe than anyone else? His choice Ecuador, considering his Award winning reporting on this issue world wide, speaks for itself.

He does challenge even people he respects, such as Correa, but his choice of Ecuador when his own life is on the line, is a very loud endorsement to Ecuador's commitment to continued improvement of human rights there and elsewhere.

As for the US being 'better than Ecuador on HRs?? One million innocent, dead Iraqis and untold numbers of others in Yemen, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia, not to mention our recent past history of abuses in South and Central America.

We are making some improvements, but far too little, but to even try to compare Correa to the the US's past and ongoing abuses is simply so wrong, it's hard to know where to begin.

Tell me this when Correa invades a country and tortures and kills its innocent civilians. Americans need to stop trying to deny what the whole world knows, we can only regain the world's respect when we first acknowledge and then make amends for the crimes committed against against innocent people, for our backing of Dictators even now and our arrogant claims to be the 'pinnacle' of democracy.