ECUADOR UNSTABLE ANDES

For the moment, Ecuador's crisis has been resolved. On the surface, nothing much has even changed. The army, which toyed briefly with the idea of a return to the political front line, after ousting Mr Mahuad on Friday, is safely back in its barracks. Under strong US pressure, constitutional order has apparently been restored. Mr Noboa enjoys the backing of Mr Mahuad, and says he will press ahead with plans to dollarise the country's currency and introduce long-overdue economic reforms. Washington was right to help reverse the military coup. But elections are not everything. US and other foreign policymakers often focus too much on preserving the forms of democratic rule. Far more needs to be done to improve its content, instead.