NPR's David Welna reports that Ecuador's young democracy has survived the political crisis of the past week, but with its weaknesses more exposed. Ecuadorans are proud that the military did not step in and take power when three different people were claiming the presidency. But the crisis also showed that the military remains the final arbiter of power. It was the country's generals who essentially told the congress how to resolve the showdown. The turmoil also demonstrated that the US embassy retains a tremendous amount of political influence.
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