If something became clear in Ecuador the last couple of weeks, it is that Lenin Moreno, its president, is not the people’s choice. Willing to massacre his own compatriots to ingratiate himself with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Moreno’s word is worthless. He cannot and should not be trusted: after all, a traitor is always a traitor.

And a traitor is exactly what Moreno is. The man was only able to arrive at the presidential Palace of Carondelet two years ago riding the coattails of his popular predecessor Rafael Correa thanks to his promises to continue Correa’s popular revolution program. Yet, as soon as he took over the presidency, Moreno not only betrayed Correa, but the aspirations and dreams of the majority of the Ecuadorean people that voted for him. The man with the ironic name –Lenín, no less--is nothing but a puppet of the IMF, Washington and the most corrupt and despicable members of the Ecuadorean oligarchy.

Actually, vengeance has already started against his political opponents. Paola Pabón, the mayor of Pichincha and one of the most popular and respected opposition leaders, was illegally and violently arrested. It happened the day after antigovernment protest were suspended, when Moreno announced the cancellation of decree 883 that eliminated gasoline subsidies, and the suspicious creation of a new one. 

The announcement came after televised negotiations between the government and indigenous groups on Sunday. At least seven people were killed in the protests and 2,000 were arrested or wounded. Pabón is being accused of “promoting violence.”

 "Today they entered my house at dawn and knocked down the door while I slept," Pabón said in a Facebook post. “They detained without evidence. Being in the opposition in a democracy cannot be a crime. It is not democracy when political opponents are persecuted in this way.” 

No, it is not a democracy, but since is not happening in Venezuela or Cuba, it is OK with the U.S., the OAS, and most of the mainstream media.

Protests in Ecuador may have stopped for the time being, but the abuse of power and the exploitation of the people by Moreno and the gang of thieves and sell outs that manipulate and surround him have not. The root of the problem goes far beyond decree 883 and until Moreno leaves, political persecution stops, and the needs of the people are placed before the IMF demands, every apparent solution will be a sham. Whoever trusts Moreno’s words does so at his or her own risk. z