Monday, November 3, 2008

Is Studmuffin's hardball finally working?


Hey, maybe Correa has finally made big oil's poker face crack. With last week's declaration that Repsol (REP) would be thrown out of the country which was then backed up by another Muffin attack on FDI this weekend that went....

"Let the multinational companies understand; the Banana Republic is finished. Conditions are not made by then (any longer), they are made by the country (Ecuador)."

......Repsol looks like it's suddenly realized this time is serious. Noises from the Spanish government this morning were "the negotiations are ongoing". Tell that to Correa, señores, because he said on his Saturday show "Now they are contacting me...now they want to talk; too late."

So anyway the Repsol bigwigs are reportedly flying out to Ecuador as I write these words. Let's see who wins this round of brinkmanship. Shades of how President Studmuffin won the fight with Carlos Slim and America Movil and all of a sudden Correa looks in the catbird seat. Will REP kowtow? Watch this space........