Ecuador president-elect would scrap trade pacts
Rafael Correa, the apparent winner of the presidential election in Ecuador, says he would flatly oppose a free trade agreement with the U.S., likely reversing what had been seen as a probable bilateral agreement on trade between the countries.
The election is not expected to be finalized until later in the week, but on Sunday night, several respected exit polls showed Correa with a 57 percent to 43 percent lead over billionaire businessman Alvaro Noboa, who won the first round of the Ecuadorian elections in October.
Correa has a Ph.D. in economics, and has expressed his support for left-leaning leaders in Latin America. He supports the concept of a separate trade agreement for Latin American nations, outside the influence of the U.S.