Correa is....

1) Negotiating with the companies. In the past Ecuador has been screwed over old oil contracts, so they are putting forth a strong front with mining contracts.

2) They have admitted that contracts will be negotiated individually in january. Everything will be negotiable. Look at any company vs union negotiations. When they start out they are miles apart but in the end both shake on it with a smaile on their faces.

3) This show is mainly for the common ecuadorian that he reports to, not us. He's showing the big imperialistic corporations who's boss...ya ya we get it. 

4) Correa is not stupid. Remember the statement that he was asking for millions of dollars from the world to compensate not taking oil from the rain forest. When surprisingly nobody paid up- now they will have to pump that oil out and get the money that way....well he tried...public relations at it's best. So much for the NGO's.

5) The windfall taxes have a minimum lowest price of the current gold price but there is no upper limit. A negotiation  area.

safeharbour