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Addressing Ecuador’s National Assembly on Tuesday in his last annual state-of-the-nation speech, President Rafael Correa offered his condolences to the victims of the 7.8 degree earthquake which struck the country in April and slammed those who continue to hide money in overseas tax havens.
"There are a lot of people that work day and night, without weekends, to give our children a better country," said the Ecuadorean president, before calling on voters to "reject candidates that have money in tax havens."
Emphasizing the importance of what he termed the "ethical revolution," Correa was also keen to point out that the current administration does not have "links with tax havens."
"Hopefully we can understand that when groups pressure the government, it is for their own interests and gains," he added.
Ecuador's two-time elected leader also praised the relief efforts carried out by government agencies and expressed gratitude toward countries and organizations that have lent foreign assistance in the aftermath of the natural disaster.
“If the size of the tragedy is big, than the will of the Ecuadorean people to move forward must be bigger,” Correa stated, who estimates that recovery costs will be between US$3 and US$4 billion.
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As a result of the massive economic and physical destruction caused by the earthquake, Correa, a trained economist, emphasized the importance of temporarily increasing taxes on individuals earning significantly more than the national average in order to help finance the country's rebuilding efforts.
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"Afterall, economics is not about only figures, it is about humanity,” he said, pointing to his own meagre salary of US$4,000 compared to the over US$9,000 presidents used to earn.
The Ecuadorean president's salary is the second lowest in the region behind Bolivia's President Evo Morales. According to the Andes news agency in March, Correa was earning US$6,261, but he is believed to have recently reduced it.
Correa also said that the economic toll on the country has resulted in the country requesting foreign investment, comments he said he was forced to deliver with a "heavy heart."
During his speech, President Correa highlighted the significant reduction in poverty since 2007, signaling that Ecuador is on its way to becoming a far more equal society.
"Over 1.9 million Ecuadoreans were elevated out of poverty and structural causes to poverty were addressed," stated the Ecuadorean leader.
Correa, who celebrated nine straight years in office on Jan. 15, 2016, is credited for having overseen the transformation of Ecuador in the areas of social and economic policies. "We are the country with the least amount of debt in the region," he said.
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Discussing the country's opposition, Correa emphasized that anti-government groups including politicians are keen to "sell the idea" that Ecuador is under the yoke of Chinese influence. But, he argued, this is "without a doubt the decade of gains."
"Some say that we have not done anything, but what we've done has given clear results. We ended 2015 with under 5% unemployment," he pointed out.
Correa announced that six ministries and 12 vice-ministries will be eliminated, a consequence of the devastation caused by the earthquake amid historically low oil prices. "We have to suspend some programs because of the earthquake," stated Correa.
"The coming year will be focused on managing the fallout of the earthquake and the economic crisis this has caused," he added.
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