Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa begins third term

USPA News - Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa on Friday was sworn in to begin his third consecutive term. Correa was sworn in on Friday morning in the country`s National Assembly.

The presidents of Honduras, Porfirio Lobo, Bolivia, Evo Morales, and Venezuea, Nicolas Maduro were among those present. In his speech, Correa underlined the importance of safeguarding the country`s biodiversity and natural habitat, as well as acknowleding the political, economic, and social changes that the country is going through. "Ecuador is one of the most dynamic economies in Latin America," Correa said, outlining that the economy grew by 4.3 percent. "Between 2006 and 2012, a million Ecuadorians were no longer poor," Correa added, as the country`s extreme poverty rate reduced from 16.9 percent to 11.2 percent. Correa, 50, was born in the city of Guayaquil. He was first elected president of Ecuador in 2006 and then reelected in 2009. His third term is scheduled to end in 2017.