Ecuador in talks to evict Julian Assange, its ‘stone in the shoe’

To further answer your question, the previous left wing president Correa was, simply put trying to burnish his cred sticking it to the US while looking like he was standing up against oppressors of freedom while he himself was notorious in Equador for oppressing press freedom.

It's sort of like Putin granting asylum to Snowden. Unlike popular myth spread by misleading US MSM, Snowden did not run to Russia to spill NSA secrets to them. He fled to Hong Kong first and when he learned he was in danger there got marooned in Moscow after his passport was revoked during a layover as he was on his way to Ecuador. Putin granted him asylum to stick it to the US even though Russia blatantly practices all the things Snowden stood against when he revealed his NSA secrets to the world. The PR opportunity provided to create a false mythos and burnish cred shielding Snowden from US prosecution was too delicious an opportunity for Putin to pass up.

Assange had a personal relationship with Correa as well, as while he was under house arrest in Britain he also had a show on Russian TV where he had a very friendly interview with Correa. At one point, Correa welcomed Assange into what he called the club of the persecuted.