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Ecuadorian President Correa reiterates support for his Venezuelan counterpart

Xinhua, June 3, 2016 Adjust font size:

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa has reiterated his support for his Venezuelan counterpart, saying the problems Venezuela now faces are due to its historical dependency on oil and the "boycott" from U.S. transnational companies located in the South American country.

"The permanent economic and media boycott that Venezuela has is astonishing," said Correa Wednesday evening during an interview with local public television channel Ecuador TV-Television Publica, local media reported Thursday.

In Venezuela, Correa said, "without doubt there have been problems", but the situation being painted by the media is not real.

"Many of the photos taken of people rummaging in bins are not real, they have been staged. There are transnationals from the United States that produce and hoard everything that has been produced in order to generate artificial shortages," said Correa.

He believed that in Latin America, there is a conservative restoration of the right-wing against the governments that are known in the region as progressive.

"There are concerted strategies to wear down progressive governments, no longer with boots and fuses but with media and economic boycott so that the right-wing can try to return to power," he added.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is currently facing an opposition that is demanding a referendum to revoke his rule with protests in the streets and political actions against the government.

Correa reiterated his support for Maduro as well as for his counterparts Dilma Rousseff in Brazil and Evo Morales in Bolivia who are also facing destabilization strategies.

Referring to Brazil's current political situation, Correa said "what is happening in Brazil is dismal. They still haven't managed to find anything against Dilma."

Rousseff was temporarily removed from office in May for up to 180 days after the Senate agreed to impeach her and Vice President Michel Temer from the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party took up the presidency on a temporary basis.

With no charges of corruption weighing against her, Rousseff is being judged for administrative misconduct and disregarding the federal budget as well as delaying payments to public banks, which is known as "fiscal pedaling." Enditem