Correa wants them to give up their profit-sharing deals and sign new contracts that would make them service providers.
His relationship with the private sector hit a low point last year when Correa refused to honor US$3.2 billion in global bonds, even though the government had the money to pay. Investment has also been slowed by the world financial crisis.
The president sides with indigenous groups that have brought a US$27 billion environmental damages lawsuit against US petroleum company Chevron Corp, which no longer has operations in the Andean country.
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