Voting was so evenly split over Ecuador's 10-question referendum last weekend that it remains too close to say which, if any, of the reforms pushed by the country's 39-year-old president, Rafael Correa, will be drafted into law.
According to reports yesterday, "yes" votes were within a half percentage point of "no" votes on the more controversial proposals calling for the dissolution and overhaul of the country's judiciary and the creation of a government panel to police the news media.
Some observers are saying the high number of "no" votes indicates a growing wariness in Ecuador toward Correa's broader ambition to emulate the leftist posture of his closest political mentor, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.