Ecuador

President Rafael Correa said Aug. 15 he plans to defend his socialist government with a network of citizen committees, a move that suggests he is radicalizing his "revolution." Correa, who this month took office for a second term vowing to deepen socialist reforms in the Andean OPEC nation, said his government is under threat from wealthy elites and needs to mobilize its supporters. "We need to organize committees for the defense of the revolution in every neighborhood," said Correa, an ally of Cuba's President Raul Castro and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, both leftists who have similar groups in their countries. (Reuters)