Rafael Correa
A fiery economist-president who transformed Ecuador's political landscape with a socialist revolution funded by oil, leaving a deeply polarized nation.
Born 1963 (age 63)·President of Ecuador from 2007 to 2017·Birthday: April 6·Baby Boomers
Biography
Rafael Correa arrived at Ecuador's presidency in 2007 as an outsider with a PhD in economics and a deep-seated critique of the political establishment he called 'the partyarchy.' Riding a wave of discontent, he swiftly moved to rewrite the constitution, consolidating executive power and declaring a 'Citizens' Revolution.' His decade in office was defined by massive public investment in infrastructure, health, and education, funded by high oil prices and a defiant renegotiation of foreign debt. He expanded social welfare, built highways and schools, and granted rights to nature in the constitution. Yet his rule grew increasingly authoritarian, clashing with media, indigenous groups, and political opponents. Correa positioned Ecuador as a leader of the Latin American left, forging close ties with Hugo Chávez and railing against U.S. influence. His legacy is a country physically transformed but socially fractured, with his populist movement enduring even after he left for Belgium and was convicted in absentia on corruption charges, which he dismisses as political persecution.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Rafael was born in 1963, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Rafael Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Rafael's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 60
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 63 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as President of Ecuador for a decade, from 2007 to 2017, winning three consecutive elections.
- Oversaw the drafting and approval of a new constitution in 2008, expanding social rights and executive authority.
- Dramatically reduced poverty and unemployment rates through expansive social programs and public works.
- Defaulted on and successfully renegotiated a portion of Ecuador's foreign debt, labeling it 'illegitimate.'
Did You Know?
He completed part of his doctoral studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
During his presidency, he hosted WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.
He is a trained economist and taught at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito before entering politics.
Since leaving office, he has lived in Belgium, his wife's home country.
“"We are living not in an era of changes, but in a change of eras."”
