Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador: "Hey America, what’s up with all those military bases you want to put in next door?"

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa "cruised" to re-election this weekend after defeating his closest opponent, ex-President Lucio Gutierrez, by a 20 percent margin in the country's presidential election.

Venezuela, Perú, Ecuador and Panamá have closed down Stanford Financial Group banks in their countries after its chairman, billionaire Sir Allen Stanford, was accused of defrauding investors for over eight billion dollars.

Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa has expelled a U.S. diplomat from the South American country after learning the U.S. was suspending $340,000 in aid to fight the illegal drug trade.

A month after an Ecuadoran immigrant in New York was beaten to death by a group of teens, two Ecuadoran brothers in NYC were assaulted in a possible hate crime. Witnesses say the victims – one of whom now brain-dead – were called anti-gay and anti-Latino slurs during the attack. (via The Latin Americanist)

Busta Rhymes takes braggadocio to the next level in a new video, "Arab Money." (via HipHopSite)

Over 60 percent of voters in Ecuador have backed a new constitution that will grant President Rafael Correa greater control of the nation's economy as well as a chance to remain in power until 2017.

Nicaragua has broken its political ties with Colombia in support of Ecuador. President Daniel Ortega: "We are breaking off relations because of the political terrorism being carried out by the government of Alvaro Uribe, not because of the Colombian people."

Colombia kills a top commander in the left-wing guerrilla group FARC – but does so just inside neighboring Ecuador. Venezuela's Hugo Chávez threatens war.