Okay, so I've been seeing reports of political unrest and a very unstable situation in Ecuador, but I couldn't quite pin down what was going on. Now I have done (some) research, and I can give you a bit of a better idea. I'm still a newcomer to this, though, so if you know more, *please* let me know!
First, some history (drawn directly from
Wikipedia):
Recession and popular unrest led to a return to populist politics and domestic military interventions in the 1960s, while foreign companies developed oil resources in the Ecuadorian Amazon. In 1972, a nationalist military regime seized power and used the new oil wealth and foreign borrowing to pay for a program of industrialization, land reform, and subsidies for urban consumers. With the oil boom fading, Ecuador returned to democracy in 1979, but by 1982, the government faced an economic crisis, characterized by inflation, budget deficits, a falling currency, mounting debt service, and uncompetitive industries.
Since its return to democracy, Ecuador has been marked by chronic governmental instability. Many years of continuous mismanagement, starting with the mishandling of the contry's debt during the 1970's military regime, have left the country escentially ungovernable. By the mid 90's, the government of Ecuador has been characterized by a weak executive branch that struggles to appease the ruling classes, represented in the legislative and judiciary. All democratically elected presidents have failed to finish their terms during that period.
There are many causes for this. The most critical underlying factor is the emergence of native indians (non-mestizo) as an active constituency. As a group, they were pushed into prominence due to government failures to deliver on promises of land reform, lowering unemployment, and historical exploitation of the native populace. Their movement, in turn, started a deterioration of the executive office. Today, the notion that presidents are always in danger of being ousted by a majority in congress, a strike movement, or a combination thereof, is widely accepted. Hence, the president has gone from being the representative of the people to become a convenient scapegoat to politicians and the wealthy for the social ails of the country. Moreover, massive demostrations of civil unrest has started a vicious circle in which presidents who are unwilling or unable to make the necessary moves towards popular policies are ousted; with all the economic and governmental fallout that such a drastic change entails - and which will likely ensnare the next president. Thus, at its current state, ecuadorean presidents will be extremely unlikely to reconcile quality of life improvements with the desires of the social elite who entrenched in congress and other government posts.
Ecuadorean presidents often run on the idea that they will empower the people to overthrow this economic and social inequality. However, the public gives its leader very little political capital to work with, as it happened when in April 2005 Ecuador's Congress ousted President Lucio Gutiérrez. The Vice-President, Alfredo Palacio, took his place and is expected to be in power until the next scheduled election. As of September 2005, Ecuador still has no judicial power and is in the process of rewriting documents that will allow the people to elect the highest court members directly through public election rather than have them assigned by the ruling political party.
So, this was the situation in September; however, unrest has arisen earlier than expected and poor Alfredo is trying to push reform while keeping from being ousted just six months after his president was.
Then, pulling some quotes from another article (which I unfortunately cannot link to since it was originally in Spanish, and I'm getting the translation from LexisNexis):
Ecuador is experiencing a tense political atmosphere due to discrepancies between Palacio and a congressional majority regarding the mechanism with which to conduct a political reform.
The president has proposed a constituent assembly that would have full powers, but opposition deputies are advocating that Congress itself or a constitutional assembly with limited powers should conduct the political reform.
On 27 October Congress asked the OAS to take action at this juncture in Ecuadoran politics, while social movements that favour a constituent assembly are demanding that Palacio directly convene a referendum to approve the assembly.
A proposal to approve the assembly was blocked last week by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), which characterized it as unconstitutional, even though some experts and the government itself said that the TSE does not have the power to block proposals.
In his speech on 27 October, Palacio confirmed his "total commitment to the constitution, laws, and national interests," and his determination to carry out a political reform, but he did not outline his plan.
The local media said that the president is preparing to directly convene a referendum without the endorsement of Congress or the TSE, so that the people can choose the path to reform.
It also says in that article that he is planning to meet with indigenous movement leaders... which I didn't understand the significance of, but in light of the fact that they have been the ones spearheading the overthrow of so many of Palacio's predecessors.. well, seems like a good choice.
So, I don't know much about whether Palacio is a good president or not, except that it doesn't seem ideal for Ecuador to be experiencing this constant political upheaval...
(I would have more links to articles, but Prensa Latina, which has been my best source for South American news -- despite being published out of Havana -- appears to be down. So possibly more on this later.)
Okay, part two of today's round-up is general news (so non-political).
Hurricane Beta may not be threatening the US (yet) but it has already hit South America, and is now hitting Central America:
Hurricane Beta moved on Central America's Caribbean coast after blasting the Colombian island of Providencia.
Residents of the one-time pirate outpost about 200 kilometres east of Nicaragua took refuge in brick shelters on higher ground in Providencia, while the storm ripped the roofs off wooden homes and disrupted communications.
The record 13th hurricane so far this year in the Atlantic lashed the mountainous island owned by Colombia with damaging winds, torrential rains and high surf, said the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.
In the neighboring Colombian-owned island of San Andres, just south of Providencia, only the storm's outer bands touched land, bringing light rains and wind. After the storm passed, tourists returned to the beaches.
President Alvaro Uribe of Colombia said Saturday that no one had died on Providencia, but several people had suffered minor injuries.
CTV.ca | Hurricane Beta advancing on Nicaragua, Honduras
A drought is threatening many families in Paraguay:
A period of prolonged drought is once again affecting 4,900 families in the department of Boquerón in Paraguay this year, where little o t no rain has fallen since April. The western region of Paraguay, called the "Paraguayan Chaco", which includes the department of Boquerón, covers an area of 246,925 km², equivalent to 60 percent of the country, and has a population of 160,214 inhabitants. This region experiences droughts on an almost annual basis.
The main limiting factor for the development of the Chaco region is the recurrent scarcity of drinking water due to the climate, which varies from sub-humid and semi-humid to semi-arid and arid. Drought also frequently affects neighbouring regions of Argentina and Bolivia. This problem has generally been tackled with two different types of cisterns used for rainwater harvesting: cisterns or storage tanks called aljibes, and cutwater cisterns called tajamares. These cisterns are now totally dry. The drought has also damaged crops throughout the area, which is primarily populated by subsistence farmers.
On 26 September 2005, the Paraguayan National Conference declared a state of emergency in the Chaco region for six months. Government ministries, the National Emergency Secretariat (SEN) and other organizations working in the region will work together with farmers and residents to provide assistance in response to this situation. The department of Boquerón has a Departmental Emergency Committee (CDE) to work on problems such as severe drought; however this committee has not held meetings for 2 years now.
An estimated total of 11,518 families (52,990 people) in 265 communities in the 3 departmentsin the Chaco region have been affected
ReliefWeb » Document Preview » Paraguay: Drought Minor Emergency No. 05ME060 Bulletin No. 2
But Gene Glasscock, a former missionary, has a unique way to try to help some of the young people of Paraguay:
Seventy-year-old Gene Glasscock began a mission in 2002 to visit 48 state capitols on horseback. On his way to Lansing, his 47th capitol, he stopped in Vicksburg this week to stay with Bill and Becky Ruh, owners of Ruh Horse Farm.
Glasscock's goal in his 20,000-mile, three-year equestrian journey is to help the young people of Paraguay.
A former missionary and teacher there, he is raising money for the Philips Scholarship Fund, which offers underprivileged young adults from Paraguay the opportunity to attend Pensacola Christian College in Pensacola, Fla. The only stipulation is that students must return to Paraguay after graduation to help others.
saddles up in Vicksburg
In more local news (local as in a small part of South America), a bus colliding with a truck killed and injured many in Brazil:
SAO PAULO, Brazil – A bus carrying more than 40 passengers collided head-on with a truck in central Brazil on Friday, killing at least 14 people and injuring 21, authorities said.
Seven people remained hospitalized in serious condition after the early morning accident near the city of Catalao, 600 kilometers (375 miles) north of Sao Paulo in Goias state, federal highway police officer Joao Henrique Souza de Oliveira said.
The bus collided with the truck after illegally entering the opposite lane to try to pass a slower bus, police said.
Both drivers died instantly, police said, while 14 people suffered minor injuries.
Authorities said the most serious injuries were sustained by passengers who were thrown from the bus. Rescue workers said several of them were stuck in the wreckage when they arrived on the scene.
Local media said the bus was taking the passengers from Sao Paulo to the northeastern state of Ceara, but authorities could not immediately confirm the information. AP
The Daily Journal - Bus accident kills 14 in central Brazil
And, finally, a volcano is erupting on the Galapagos islands off the coast of Equador:
Tourists flock to Galapagos eruption
QUITO, Ecuador (AP) - Fiery lava flows have attracted hundreds of tourists to the largest of the Galapagos Islands, less than a week after a volcano began erupting, officials said Saturday.
The number of tourists to visit seahorse-shaped island Isabela has been restricted after roughly 200 people visited the island each day last week, Susanna Villagomez, an Isabela municipal official said.
The 1.6-kilometre-high Sierra Negra volcano began erupting Oct. 22 but the island's unique flora and fauna, including the famed Galapagos tortoises for which the archipelago is named, were unharmed.
Still, tourists have been eager to go close to Sierra Negra's crater.
"Every two hours, a group of a maximum of 32 tourists is sent out, taking all the necessary precautions," Villagomez said.
"The people want to go at night because the sight that Sierra Negra offers is impressive," she added.
Pablo Samaniega, a vulcanologist at Ecuador's Geophysics Institute said the eruption shows no signs of stopping and on average, these eruptions can last four weeks.
The last time Sierra Negra erupted was in 1979.
CANOE -- CNEWS - World: Tourists flock to Galapagos eruption
And that will be the round-up for the day... *deep sigh of relief*
I had to break the news up into pieces, because there's so much.. so I'm doing thematic pieces, and this one is politics..
First up is the buzz surrounding the upcoming Summit of the Americas in Argentina. As with around the world, there is marked anti-American (or anti-Bush?) sentiment, among other things:
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- Long gone are the days of heavily armed revolutionaries wandering the jungles of Nicaragua or Bolivia and the cry of "Yankee Go Home!" on the streets of Latin America.
Since the end of the Cold War, military dictatorships have vanished and the region for the most part has embraced capitalism and American-style democracy. But that doesn't mean it's entirely at peace with "El Norte," its powerful northern neighbor.
When President Bush arrives this week at the Argentine seaside resort of Mar del Plata for the fourth Summit of the Americas, leftist activists, students, Indians and trade unionists will gather at a basketball stadium several miles away to protest everything from the war in Iraq to U.S. immigration policy to free trade deals.
"We think his policies are totally contrary to what we want for Latin America and are promoting genocide, domination of workers and their communities and the plundering of natural resources," said Argentine labor leader Juan Gonzalez, who is heading a protest "People's Summit" coinciding with Bush's visit Thursday through Saturday.
Groups to rally against Bush in Argentina
There is also a meeting of indigenous groups, and many important issues are going to be discussed at this summit.
There also seems to be quite a political upheaval going on in Ecuador.. I hope to have more in the future on this, but I don't know much myself.. here's a beginning, though:
Quito, Oct 28 (Prensa Latina) The political conflict between Ecuador´s Executive and Legislative powers augmented Friday after the latter requested intervention of the Organization of American States (OAS) in the country.
The Government Minister Galo Chiriboga rejected the Congressional request, approved by 68 votes from 79 lawmakers, and emphasized that "Ecuadorians are able to reach agreements" without international interference.
After knowing the political blocs´ resolution, contrary to President Alfredo Palacio´s proposal to call for a referendum asking for a Constituent Assembly, Chiriboga pointed out that a solution to the crisis must be sought among Ecuadorians.
Political Crisis Deepens in Ecuador - Prensa Latina
Many South American countries are unhappy with the new FBI office that has been established in Paraguay:
Asuncion, Oct 27 (Prensa Latina) The US FBI will run a permanent office from the US Embassy in the capital of Paraguay beginning in 2007, which will cooperate with local security in fighting crimes like drug traffic and kidnappings.
The office will serve as a bridge between US and Paraguayan authorities and monitor law enforcement, including access to databases and other information.
Asuncion becomes the 8th Latin American capital to host a "legal attaché", after Buenos Aires, Brasilia, Santiago de Chile, Caracas, Bogota, Panama and Mexico City, and 54th in the world.
More Information on Coming FBI Paraguay Office - Prensa Latina
Then there are the pieces of trade news...
Brazilians are protesting the ban on Brazilian beef following an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, in a rather unique display:
Thousands of Brazilians took to the streets Thursday to try to show the rest of the world that Brazilian beef is safe — by roasting and eating 22,000 pounds of it.
More than 40 countries have banned Brazilian beef after the country's latest outbreak of the highly contagious foot-and-mouth disease earlier this month in the midwestern state of Mato Grosso do Sul.
Brazil has the world's largest commercial cattle herd, estimated at 190 million head, and is the world's leading beef exporter by volume. Foot-and-mouth disease, which also strikes sheep, pigs and goats, is a highly contagious viral illness that can be spread through minimal contact with infected animals, farm equipment or meat. The disease can be fatal in animals but does not harm humans.
The Seattle Times: Nation & World: Thousands in Brazil march to support beef
Meanwhile, there is some controversy on a lesser scale over the EU's ban on importation of wild birds, after two birds from Suriname were found to have Avian flu:
The European Union’s announcement of a one month ban on the importation of wild birds is worrying exporters in Guyana and Suriname. The ban came after two parrots in quarantine died of a deadly strain of the virus. The birds had been imported from Suriname.
The Guyana Wild Life Exporters Association is concerned about the effects the ban will have on jobs and on export earning.
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Many are also worried about the fact that the EU is considering ending a longstanding sugar trade agreement with many former European colonies; some of the countries are dependant on their sugar trade and could be hit hard (including Guyana, which is within my scope):
thousands more sugar farmers in Mauritius and other former European colonies face a threat to their livelihoods, as the European Union plans a massive overhaul of its sugar policy, little changed in almost 40 years.The bloc is proposing to slash subsidies for sugar exports from African, Caribbean and Pacific ACP states by 39 percent over the next four years.
Beginning in July 2006, this will cut prices to 303 euros per tonne of sugar by 2008/9 from 524 euros now.
The move follows a World Trade Organisation ruling that the subsidies paid to European sugar producers -- and those in former colonies who have special access to EU markets -- constituted unfair trade.
But the 18-strong ACP group, which includes Mauritius, Fiji, Guyana, Swaziland, Jamaica, Barbados, Zambia and Kenya, says its developing economies are ill-equipped to deal with the cuts and warn of social upheaval if the reforms go ahead.
Editor's Choice News Article | Reuters.co.uk
Meanwhile, in a bit of good news, South American ministers of Tourism have agreed to work together to fight the sexual and commercial exploitation of children and adolescents:
Rio - South American ministers of Tourism, gathered yesterday (26) at the World Forum of Tourism for Peace and Sustainable Development, decided to embark upon a joint campaign to prevent and combat the sexual and commercial exploitation of children and adolescents.
The campaign is scheduled to begin in December. And, according to the Brazilian minister of Tourism, Walfrido dos Mares Guia, it will be conducted in such a way that every tourist, domestic and foreign, will perceive that the countries are on their guard, ready for prevention, and with increasingly rigorous laws to punish those who wish to abuse children and adolescents," he emphasized.
According to the minister, it was an historical meeting, since it was the first time that ministers of Tourism from around the continent got together to discuss two basic questions: the integration of air travel between South American countries and the prevention of sexual exploitation of children and adolescents.
According to a recent survey by the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), 934 Brazilian cities were identified as hotbeds of sexual exploitation of children and adolescents for sexual ends, associated mainly with tourism, cargo transportation, and gasoline stations. Referring to the study, the minister commented that the problem is global in scope and that, for this reason, the country should not be ashamed. "What we have to do is confront it," he declared.
Portal da Cidadania
And Venezuela and the ever-controversial Hugo Chavez is busily changing to try to push their new socialist government:
CARACAS, Venezuela - Firmly in power and his revolution now in overdrive, President Hugo Chávez is moving fast to transform Venezuela's economy by bucking free-market planning with what he calls 21st-century socialism: founding state companies, seizing abandoned private factories and establishing thousands of cooperatives and worker-run businesses.
Chávez Restyles Venezuela With '21st-Century Socialism' - New York Times
Okay, I'm a slacker. But really, you'll be seeing South America news, soon.
As for my methods, I've learned from the past two days of trying to get the energy together to make a big post with lots of news. My methods are going to be to post an article or too that looks interesting when I see it. As I get to know South America (both history and current events) better, I will probably add some commentary. Please take whatever I say with a grain of salt.
I think that's that. Hopefully I've gotten the forwarding worked out and this will post.
Mostly political news, today. The Summit of the Americas is coming up in Argentina:
Buenos Aires, Oct 26 (Prensa Latina) Argentina is putting final details on next week's fourth Summit of the Americas in Mar del Plata, with the signing of the Final Declaration and Action Plan slated for November 4-5.
Subsidized agriculture in rich countries, the US sponsored Free Trade Area for the Americas, and current international financial policies, are the main obstacles for consensus.
Argentina Readies for Regional Summit - Prensa Latina
The FBI is establishing a presence in Paraguay (with much local worry about the implications):
US FBI Director Robert Mueller arrived in Paraguay Wednesday to check on preparations for installation of a permanent FBI office in Asuncion. In his two days in Asuncion, Mueller will meet with Paraguayan Vice President Luis Castiglioni, Supreme Court Chief Justice Antonio Fretes, and Interior Minister Rogelio Benitez.
A communiqué from the US Embassy in Asuncion justified installation of the FBI office in 2007, to cooperate with security organizations to fight international crime, drug traffic and kidnapping.
FBI Sets Up Permanent Office in Paraguay, 8th in Latin America - Prensa Latina
And Venezuela is attempting to extradite Pat Robertson on charges of committing an act of terrorism by threatening President Hugo Chavez....
As another example of Washington's two-faced handling of terrorism, the diplomat referred to Rev. Pat Robertson's public calls to assassinate President Hugo Chavez, which is a crime under US law as well as an act of terrorism under international law, he explained.
The Venezuelan ambassador said for these reasons, his country has begun processing an extradition request for Pat Robertson under the terms of the existing treaty between the governments of Washington and Caracas.
We expect that our formal request for extradition will be diligently handled by the US authorities, he concluded.
Venezuela Denounces US Two-Faced Attitude toward Terrorism - Prensa Latina
More later, but this is a start.
This is the blog. The blog where I will be posting South America news. And it will be a sub-blog. When it is really a blog, and not just a single tester post.
