Could they be trying to play their variant of the Russian "Georgia" strategy--keep poking a stick at your adversary until he gets so angry that he does something stupid enough to let you capitalize on it?

Ormaybe is this an effort by the so-called axis of oil to divert/dilute US attention/power away from the Black Sea/ Central Asia region?

Amazing how much "courage" a tin pot dictator can muster when he has a "friend" sending in a couple of heavy bombers to visit and dispatching a few antiquated warships to conduct exercises with.

Thoughts on what kind of actions Ecuador will now take, if any?