During Correa 's presidency , he was part of the wider Latin American pink tide , a turn toward leftist governments in the region , allying himself with Hugo Chávez 's Venezuela and brought Ecuador into the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas in June 2009 . Using its own form of 21st century socialism , Correa ’s administration increased government spending , reducing poverty , raising the minimum wage and increasing the standard of living in Ecuador . By the end of Correa 's tenure , reliance on oil , public expenditures , 2016 earthquakes ( more than 650 deaths and damage estimated at the equivalent of about 3 % of GDP ) , and international pressure caused Ecuador 's economy to enter a recession , resulting in government spending being slashed
2016 earthquakes
2016 Ecuador earthquake
Rafael Correa