A Donald Trump victory in the U.S. would be good for Latin American leftists, Correa says

In a television interview Friday, President Rafael Correa said that a Donald Trump presidency in the United States would bolster the fortunes of leftist governments in Latin America. “Because of his bias against Latinos, Trump would help rally progressives in the region,” Correa said.

U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Correa made the comments in an interview with TeleSur host Abby Martin.

“Look at the conservative presidency of George W. Bush,” Correa said. “It brought in the so-called ‘pink tide’ that brought socialist governments to power. I think Trump could have the same effect.” He added that Barack Obama’s presidency has led to the current “conservative restoration,” which has seen leftist governments in Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia and Venezuela suffer political losses. “Even though Obama has continued the same policies as Bush, he is more charming and intelligent and seems less threatening. He took away our rallying point,” Correa said.

In an earlier interview, Correa talked about the “unintended consequences” of Trump’s presidential campaign. “He said he would defeat ISIS but he has become their greatest recruiting tool,” Correa said. “He is in several ISIS recruiting videos and has become their poster boy.”

Correa said that a Hillary Clinton victory would probably be best for the U.S. “I have many friends there and for their sake, and for the sake of the world, I hope she wins, but it may not be in the best interest of our region,” he said.

Ultimately, Correa said, it is better that Latin America grow and mature so it does not matter who is elected in the U.S. “We must escape the U.S. shadow and influence and learn to live and walk on our own two feet without worrying about politics of North America. That’s what true independence means,” he said.