Ecuador's Government Accuses AFP of Lying Regarding CIA Protest Link

The government of Ecuador released an official statement countering a story by Agence France-Presse (AFP), which published a number of statements by President Rafael Correa about a suspected US infiltration in a number of opposition protests that took place last week.

According to the news agency, the president said that the CIA had infiltrated the opposition-led protests who came out against measures to protect the local economy by placing tariffs on imports. However, the Ecuadorean government officials said the president was referring to the documented role of the US intelligence services in the country’s affairs, as well as its connection to opposition groups.

On his Twitter account, Correa confronted the news agency’s account saying, “If the opposition marches had been organized by the CIA, they wouldn't have been such colossal failures.”

Ecuadorean government officials charged AFP with taking Correa’s remarks out of context. "It is clear that AFP lies and has distorted the truth consciously, making a light, de-contextualized and tendentious interpretation; misrepresenting the president's statements," they said in a statement.

In 2013, the Ecuadoran news agency ANDES, reported that the CIA was plotting to murder Correa and destabilize the country as revenge for the removal of a US military base from the country in 2009, as well as Correa’s decision to give asylum to WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange.