What Happened Protests involving labor, student and indigenous groups have convulsed Ecuador, putting its government in danger of toppling — and enabling the possible return to power of its former president or another tightly aligned populist figure. Together, it threatens investors and businesses with rapid policy swings or even the nationalization of assets. Although President Lenin Moreno entered office as the chosen successor to Rafael Correa, he has deviated from his predecessor's populist ideology and moved the country away from its alignment with Venezuela and its Chavista policies. Underscoring the jeopardy, Moreno announced in a nationally televised address on Oct. 8 that he was relocating his government from the capital, Quito, to the coastal city of Guayaquil. In the face of the unrest, Moreno has so far remained firmly committed to the austerity policies that sparked it.