Ecuador’s president Rafael Correa has secured  a third  term after winning the  2013 presidential election.Correa, whose widening of the welfare state has divided critics, won with  close to 60% of  the vote,The Guardian reports

His closest rival ,Guillermo Lasso,secured   23.8% of the vote  and the former president Lucio Gutiérrez was  third with 6% . The remainder of the votes were divided among five other candidates.

Immediately after learning about his victory for the third term, Correa immediately vowed to deepen the “citizen’s revolution” that has lifted tens of thousands of Ecuadoreans out of poverty as he expanded the welfare state.

“We will be present wherever we can be useful, wherever we can best serve our fellow citizens and our Latin American brothers,” 49 year old  Correa told supporters who celebrated in front of the presidential palace in Quito

“This is not just a victory for Ecuador, this is a victory for the great homeland of Latin America,” the beaming Correa said.

His election victory easily surpassed the 51.7% he won in his first re-election in April 2009.

Correa is now  barred from competing for another four-year term according to the rules of the constitution.

Ecuador relies on petroleum for more than half its export earnings, and Correa has used this oil wealth to make public education and healthcare more accessible and lay thousands of miles of highways.
By UP