"Is ECU the "poster child" of illegal shorting what with its large share float?

THIS I KNOW, I KNOW, I KNOW!! ECU's mineralization and financial structure fundamentals are steller...near the TOP of a worldwide short list.

So, why does it trade like a ragdoll that a pet bulldog tosses around during the day while everyone is away. A redneck might, "It ain't natural"....pic"

I agree with what you are suspecting. Just a few comments.

1) I am not so sure ECU is the biggest target of the let's call it "Cartel". There are plenty of PM mining stocks treated as badly IMO.

2) Our fate is that by the time we realize our favourite stock is targeted by the MM and his crooks (or vice versa), the stock has reached an undervaluation of tens of % above the sector average, so we would be stupid to sell. And while it gets worse, more so would it be stupid to sell.

3) This is what the naked short scam is all about. These naked shorts are allowed to continue and continue to short until the world falls apart. It is like a broke guy in the casino receiving eternal credit to double his bets for a "break or even" ("Quitte ou double" in French).

Luckily we are still standing and the money pooring into the sector is about to increase to the extent, that the crooks will have to run for the hills. And once they run, they run for their life. In fact, they might as well not run. It is useless, they are toast anyway.