Update:  Ecuadoran president Rafael Correa has cruise to victory in this weekend’s election, winning what will be his final term with 57 percent of the vote.  The Leftist economist is praised for using Ecuador’s oil wealth to widen the social safety net for the poo

Correa’s closest rival is a former bank president who trailed him in pre-election polls by more than 20 points.  There are eight candidates in the running.

Correa brought stability to the South American nation tucked up in the Andes and northwestern coast, he’s forged close ties with Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez and Bolivia’s Evo Morales, and literally faced down a failed coup attempt by disgruntled cops.

While Correa calls his governance “21st Century Socialism”, he insists that he is not "anti-capitalist or anti-Yankee" and has made room for the market and capitalist economy in Ecuador.