Carlos Correa Loyola, UTPL's Director of the Information Technology Department.

One of the local leaders helping to make the event possible is Carlos Correa Loyola, who is the UTPL's Director of the Information Technology Department. However, he is also a blogger [es] and avid user of social media networks like Twitter (username @calu). Correa has already been featured on numerous occasions on Global Voices, including the articles on blogs in his homeland of Loja and when Creative Commons Ecuador was launched.

During a conversation via Skype, Correa said that the UTPL's ultimate goal is to “become the premier technology university in the country,” and for the institution to ultimately transform itself into being the “premier [technology university] in Latin America. To accomplish this, we are working with 20 PhD technology students, with 5 graduating in 2010, 10 graduating in 2011, and the rest will graduate later.”

He has met interesting people during his travels around the world, which has helped him outline the upcoming I Congress Campus with the theme “Building Common Spaces in Higher Education.” According to Correa, the work began as a small team or “four cats in a room,” a commonly used saying in Loja, and the event is becoming a reality thanks to the support of Luis Miguel Romero, PhD, the current President of UTPL and who is also the current President of the OUI-IOHE.

By following the 6 strategic goals set by the technical university, a larger team of 70 people along with the Centers for Research, Technology Transfer, Extension, and Services (CITTES for their initials in Spanish) have been organizing the Campus Connect. The entire university is taking a role in planning the event, and he feels strongly that this process should take into consideration the ideas of not just one person or small group, but all participants, which something that Correa prefers to call “universitology.”

Technical University of Loja's Campus - Photo used under Creative Commons license by UTPL VIA Comunicaciones

The meeting scheduled to begin on November 25th has three components: The Congress Campus, the Latin American regional meeting of Creative Commons, and the iSummit 2009 and will take place while “respecting their identities at the same time,” said Correa. In addition, a BarCamp will follow the official events over the 3 days.

Creative Commons

The 2nd gathering of the Creative Commons representatives from Latin American will take place in Loja, which follows the previous one held year in Santiago, Chile (.pdf format). The UTPL has had a large role in bringing the use of Creative Commons licenses in Ecuador. Correa says, “We [UTPL] are the counterpart of the organization in Ecuador. We focus on ccLearn in order to promote open content in education and higher education, especially.”

iSummit

During this event, there will also be Loxa iSummit 09, which, according to Correa will be an “annual technology conference, the first in Loja and organized by the UTPL. It focuses on four areas: Software Architecture, Knowledge Management via a differentiated Semantic and Social Web, Advanced Networks, and IT Entrepreneurship called Technology Valley that the university has been supporting and is under the direction of Alvaro Castillo.” With the iSummit we seek to “establish a collaborative space, linking different views and approaches to the role of IT in higher education and business.”

BarCamp Loxa 09

“And to close the formal parts of the event, after Wednesday workshops and other events, comes Saturday's BarCamp Loxa 09, which is nothing but organized chaos, a cycle of “unconferences” on technology and other topics,” said Correa. The Barcamp Loxa 09 is eagerly awaited by the Ecuadorian blogger community and will feature musician Riccardo Perotti. There are also plans for an after-BarCamp, which will be a place to continue the celebration. The Barcamp has its own presence on Twitter with hashtag #barcamploxa09 and also a Faceboook group.

Correa concludes and reflects on Loja's role on promoting technology in the country and in the region:

It is said that the misuse of technology adds to the digital divide. That may be happening in the U.S. and Europe, and indeed in Latin America. But we want to change that, many have laid eyes here, during these three intense days. The small towns can also work closely with large cities, so Loja being a small city, not just the university, but people are betting on a democratization of participation, thereby achieving that technology does not accumulate just in the major poles of development.

Among these changes are an increase of tax on foreign currency exchange outflows from 1% to 2%, taxation on the profits from shareholder dividends, a minimum tax on companies that use public infrastructure, changing the way that taxes on cigarettes, alcoholic beverages and soft drinks are calculated, and a 12% Value Added Tax on paper imports.

At press conference announcing the tax measures by the Ecuadorian Presidency and used under a Creative Commons license.

Carlos Guzmán L. of the blog Foro Politécnico [es] is one who supports the President's decision to introduce tax changes, and the changes support a statement that President Correa said earlier this year [es], when he said, “Forget it, in this Government, the bankers do not give orders. They gave orders up until January 15, 2007,” which is the date that Correa took office. Guzmán writes:

Como un ejemplo más de las falacias con que nos hicieron vivir durante la larga, triste y miserable noche neoliberal, los áulicos del sistema glorificaron a Elsa de Mena y su supuesta “reforma tributaria” que organizó al SRI, automatizó procesos, mejoró recaudaciones y expandió la base tributaria. Lo que nunca dijeron, fue que esta dama de triste recordación se convirtió en la gran protectora de los grandes empresarios y oligarcas del país, privilegiando la recaudación de los impuestos indirectos –como el IVA o el ICE- y “olvidando” la recaudación de los impuestos directos como el Impuesto a la Renta.

While some people may overlook the tax increases on the export of paper, Enrique Abad of the Ecuadorian Association of Librarians thinks that the government is taking the wrong approach. He adds that the tax increase will negatively affect science and technology in the country. He comments on the story from the official government newspaper [es]:

Para invertir en Ciencia y Tecnología se necesita investigación, y como su insumo, información. Las fuentes de información científicas en su mayoría las adquirimos en el extranjero, el incremento del impuesto a la expatriación de capitales encarece el acceso a estas fuentes. ¿Se podrá hacer una distinción en ésto?

Los resultados de investigación generalmente se difunden en revistas científicas, en formato papel y electrónico. Lamentablemente el incremento del papel para la impresión de revistas afectará a las primeras. Me parece que esta es una medida “política” desatinada ¿Qué tal si mañana “las revistas” en vez de imprimirse en papel couche se imprimen en papel bond?¿Se elevará el precio del papel bond y con ello también la de los libros? !vaya si nos gusta meternos en camisas de once varas!

However, Clara Lucía Placencia of the blog People on Earth [es], does not think that these new measures will curb tax evasion. On the contrary, she believes that the taxation on shareholders will mean that they will be taxed twice [es]. Another economics blogger, Andrés Freire, who is the Director of the Business Promotion Office in Guayaquil, writes that the new taxes will not help with the creation of jobs because there will not be an incentive to open new businesses, thus concentrating the money in a few productive economic sectors. However, Freire does agree with the 12% taxation on paper imports because it is time for them to pay the VAT. He also notes that only medicine and food are exempt from taxes.

Politicians are also taking to online media to pass along their thoughts on the tax measures. Luís Villacís Maldonado, member of the National Assembly and the National Director of the Popular Democratic Movement political party, writes that the President must look at other measures, not necessarily monetary ones [es], to help alleviate the crisis. He also agrees with groups that say that the 12% tax on paper imports will affect education and raise costs of books and magazines. He describes a way to help the economy:

[recuperar] los Recursos Naturales no renovables como el petróleo todavía en manos transnacionales lo cual significaría 2000 millones de dólares al año, un cobro efectivo a los grandes evasores hasta ahora no tocados que perjudican al estado anualmente con 2000 millones de dólares. Además del fortalecimiento de la banca pública para la inversión pública y comunitaria, cumpliendo el artículo 299 de la Constitución de la República que manda que los recursos públicos se manejen en la banca pública y no privada donde se retienen 1100 millones de dólares.

Photo of BarCamp Santa Elena by Calu77 and used under a Creative Commons license.

Tania Tamariz of Comunicación Corporativa y Nuevas Tecnologias [es] was pleased that the BarCamp was held in Santa Elena, a city near the sea and famous for the popular Salinas Beach, and not in the traditional larger cities like Quito and Guayaquil. This gave the chance for a new audience to learn and share experiences about these subjects, which were especially focused on technology applied to education, business, and innovation [es]. Some of the specific topics [es] included the use of open-source educational technology, web 2.0 tools for secretaries, and a topic on “breaking myths” regarding the use of the internet in Ecuador.

José Sandoval of Dourmond's Blog traveled 12 hours from his city Loja, in order to attend the BarCampSE [es]. He is an expert on management and information technology, but his reason for visiting the Santa Elena Peninsula, was primarily to meet others, who he only knew from online interactions:

Encontrarse, físicamente, con todas las personas con las que día a día compartes por medio de la Red de Redes, le da ese toque de presencialidad necesario mediante el cual dejan de ser desconocidos de quienes sabemos mucho por sus twits, blogs, scrobblings, etc. y pasan a ser personas de carne y hueso con quienes compartimos nuestro Geekismo y pasión por temas en común.

Alfredo Velazco was one of the participants at the BarcampSE and he spoke about the internet penetration in Ecuador [es] He said that 23% of Ecuadorian users visit the web to check out social networks, followed by a minor percentage who navigate the web to read news, and the pursuit of educational activities. Statistics also show that most users are between 20-34 years old. The percentage of people using Facebook is concentrated in the main cities: Quito (45%) and Guayaquil (51%).

Another blogger, Pablo Rosero of Original P [es] is frustrated because the participants in the last 3 BarCamps have been, in his opinion, misusing the term web 2.0. He writes that these individuals are following the current tendency to label everything produced on the internet as web 2.0, and he explains:

2.0 no significa el WWW2 o una super evolución de la infrascructura del Internet. Fue una lenta transición en la adoptación de otros códigos para el desarrollo de sitios web, nada más. No es que está por venir, ni nunca realmente se lo sintió llegar como una transformación instantanea de toda la “red de redes” (Lease: Internet). Ya se sabe que el Internet es parcipativo, exponencial y se seguira desarrollando continuamente.

Conferences or “un-conferences” of this kind are not a surprise in Ecuador. More and more communities are continuing the trend in Latin America to organize these types of BarCamp, and as Lina María Ceballos of Pulso Social [es] notes that these events are becoming more decentralized and appearing in smaller localities. The next BarCamp is scheduled for November 28, 2009 and will be hosted by the Technical University of Loja [es] during the city's anniversary month.

That is why October 24, 1995 became a historical date for Quito because the first 14 trolley bus prototypes arrived and were enthusiastically received by the people. That is how the Trolley Quito Co. [es] (CTQSA for its initials in Spanish) started to alleviate the north-south traffic congestion. By 1996, the system had been moving an average of 50 to 90 thousand people per day, and now, the 113 trolley buses in operation are helping to cut down on pollution, noise and at the same time, speed up traffic through downtown.

Trolley service through Guayaquil St in Quito, nearby the Plaza Grande. Photo credit to Wikimedia Commons

Quito's trolley buses have become an integral part of the city's urban landscape and prompted one journalist, Susana Morán, to launch a reporting project called “So We Travel on the Trolley Bus.” This project invited Ecuadorian twitterers to publish their experiences using the trolley bus in Quito, and to use the hashtag #troleq in order to collect the information.

She also conducted several online chats with Ecuadorians to collect anecdotes and opinions of the transport system. The transcripts can be found on her blog [es], and one participant, 24 year-old Pablo Vayas described one of his experiences:

Hay muy pocas unidades en horas pico. Una anécdota: un día no tuve dinero y traté de usar mi tarjeta del trole. Ésta no funcionó pues la banda magnética se había dañado. Empezó a llover y tenía que tomar el trole si o sí. Un señor me vio y sin hablar me dio 25 centavos y le dije que “gracias, me salvó.”

There were several active and enthusiastic twitterers, who participated. The tweets ranged from complaints about the system, but also recommendations on how to improve the overall experience. Diego Cevallos [es], also known as @diegocevallosn, complained about the trolley bus schedule because certain routes only operate until 8 or 9 pm [es]. He also had a bad experience as a victim of a robbery:

Recuerdo hac 1año al bajar del trole descubri mi maleta abierta y sin ipod q “profesionales” pensé -notese la ironía- no sentí nada #troleq

The problem with security on the trolley bus is reoccurring theme and the overall mood of the ride. Estéfano Dávila or @ferrimankenobi on Twitter wrote:

Pero todos siempre nos hacemos los locos, no saludamos nunca. Hay bastante desconfianza por la delincuencia

However, it is also concern about safety because the actions of the driver, as Dávila writes:

uuuu, me toco un chofer q va en carrera consigo mismo. Acelera full, y trata de rebasar como sea y por donde sea #troleq

Even when CTQSA launched a campaign Somos un Transporte, Amable, Solidario e Incluyente (We are a friendly service of transportation, supportive and inclusive), Alex Llumiquinga [es] who goes by @patrikalex thinks that there are still issues with the onboard experience.

#troleq abran una ventanita por dios… parada sto domingo

#troleq el sr d seguridad ha desarrollado una capacidad increible para meter gente

Diego Granda [es] @diegogranda. almost never rides the trolley, but for the activity, he wanted to join his fellow tweeters. Moreover, he still believes that if tweets were made with image and video, then the project would have been better, something that Paul Barahona [es] (@palulo) did by posting videos on his Qik account [es].

Finally, Christian Espinosa of Cobertura Digital [es] provides an overview of the project and sees the potential for future journalistic activities. He writes that in the past, journalists did not even dream of live coverage and now projects like this are enabling the addition of new sources to the news.

Photo of book fair in Buenos Aires, Argentina by Raúl Farias and used with permission.

One such author, Raúl Farias of the blog Al Lado del Camino [es] has traveled all around the world and has seen areas where readers have a wide selection of books, making reading such a central part of life in those cities. However, in his city of Guayaquil, where temperatures can reach the in the mid 30s Celsius with high humidity, there are no “book routes,” where one can buy literature. Instead there are alternative locations such as:

las esquinas de ventas de periódicos (debajo de los semáforos), en las afueras de la terminal de buses, en estériles sitios como farmacias y supermercados (además de las dos grandes librerías ubicadas en los centros comerciales, porque las del centro parecen más tiendas de útiles escolares), entre jeringuillas, pañales, frutas, embutidos y lácteos.

However, in many of these places Farias sees that there are only books from well-known international authors such as Paulo Coelho. Local Ecuadorian artists are not featured as prominently.

No matter where one might find books to purchase, it still remains an important part of Ecuadorian society. Another author, Eduardo Varas, writes in his blog Libros, Autores y Riesgos [es] that due to popularity and interest in literature, officials often see it as an opportunity to spin the event in a political manner. For example, it was during the launch of the book El Viajero del Siglo (The Traveler of the Century) written by Andrés Neuman that took place in Quito, when Ecuadorian cultural officials said there was a relationship between the book and the government's “Citizen's Revolution.” Varas wonders why can't they leave literature alone:

¿Dónde está el problema de estas cosas? En que uno siente de manera abierta que las personas llamadas a dirigir o moverse en un espacio de servicio (no de poder) observan en el público o en los asistentes a un acto como ese a una bandada de estúpidos que podrá aceptar lo que sea, sin chistar. El concepto por encima del sentido común. Los aplausos a Salazar fueron pocos… la estupidez existe. Disculpen la dureza, no es mi intención ofender a nadie, pero no existe peor sensación para mí que me traten como tarado en actos como ese.

Another potential frustration may come when an author finds his or her pirated work being sold on the street. It is estimated that piracy in Ecuador has left 15,000 unemployed and with more than 66 million dollars in losses. How much of this comes from the authors' pockets is still unknown. However, one author Rafael Méndez Meneses does not worry about that issue. He just wants his work to be available to his readers, and goes as far to say:

El día que demanden a alguna loca por sacarle copias piratas a mis libros y regalarlas por todos lados, o por dedicarse a publicar en blogs todos mis puemitas todos, me prendo fuego.

Interior view of the Quitumbe inter-provincial bus terminal in southern Quito. Photo used under permission by Nati Wolf

Now, instead of heading to the Cumandá Station where all buses used to depart, passengers must now make their way to one of the stations depending on their destination. This has generated confusion and has caused passengers to spend more time figuring out the new system and from where their bus departs, than the the actual length of time that it would take to travel to their destination.

Carei es Carei [es] deployed a number of six journalists to investigate about the benefits, traffic, costs, and information for crossing Quito in order to arrive to any of these terminals. They found that passengers will need between 90 and 107 minutes to either arrive to Quitumbe or Carcelén if they prefer to arrive by city bus. For those using a taxi service, they might need 35-55 minutes to arrive. However, for those arriving to the Quitumbe Station coming from The Valle de los Chillos:

A esa hora [7 am, los viernes] es imposible tomar una unidad vacía y los viajeros se acomodan apretadamente en el bus 3632 para llegar hasta La Marín, en Quito. Los empujones y pisotones son inevitables. Subir con maletas es casi imposible. El bus tarda 43 minutos hasta llegar al playón de La Marín.

Allí no hay información para los usuarios que deseen llegar a Quitumbe. Dos policías de tránsito no atinan a contestar ¿qué bus tomar para llegar a la nueva terminal?

The EMMAP aims to cut down costs, travel time, overall pollution, and noise with the construction of the two new terminals. Navigating the new routes to arrive might be a bit of a headache at first, even for the locals. However, once passengers arrive to the new stations, for some it is worth the trouble of the time and effort. Nati Wolf of Chica de la Luna [es] lives nearby the southern station and decided to see things for herself by visiting the Quitumbe Station where she was pleasantly surprised:

La curiosidad mató a la lobita y así fue que me aventuré a conocer la nueva terminal “Quitumbe” en el Sur de Quito. Desde mi casa hasta allí me demoré como 5 minutos y al llegar estaba tan perdida como el resto, pero al final estuve paseando por todos lugares posibles y hasta me convertí en guía, jeje. Me gustó mucho como está ordenado y hay bastantes personas en diferentes puntos dispuestos a ayudar a los viajeros que llegan a la terminal.

Las boleterías a los distintos destinos, están divididas por regiones. También podemos encontrar allí mismo lugares para comer, comprar regalos, ropa, etc. Es un gran cambio para los que estaban acostumbrados a ir a la terminal de la Cumandá, que a mi criterio, ya parecía cárcel, por lo oscuro y desordenado.

For more pictures of the new Quitumbe Station, please visit her Flickr page.

The Ecuadorian National Secretariat for Migrants SENAMI [es], for its initials in Spanish has posted a bulletin saying that the Secretary is not ready to be part of this “media circus.” It also states that Ecuadorian State has no responsibility in this personal matter and it has let Dueñas know about what services are available to all emigrants.

These events have attracted strong reactions in blogs and in mainstream media from those criticizing Dueñas' actions and also brought focus on the plight of immigrants in Spain. There are others that have looked to the role that the Ecuadorian government should play in this matter.

A Sunset at Bahía de Caraquez - Manabí/Ecuador - Photo used under Creative Commons license by http://www.flickr.com/photos/jorgeloor/

There is speculation on some blogs that the Ecuadorian government will eventually step in and provide the funds needed for the medical care so that Dueñas does not have to resort to such tactics. Some bloggers believe that Dueñas should not receive special attention, and is being harshly criticized by commenter Kojudo Mayor on the blog post by Guayaquil Insumiso [es] written by Yitux.

In addition to the criticism about the possible use of public funds to “save” the woman, Yitux is troubled by those who are judging Dueñas' decision what to do with her own body:

De nuevo el ridículo moralismo interviene. Esa mujer optó por vender algo que es suyo, su cuerpo, su virginidad. ¿Dónde está lo malo? Es una noticia llamativa, es verdad, las miles de prostitutas que venden sus cuerpos día tras día ya no nos llaman la atención; en cambio esta chica vende a sus 28 años, su virginidad, y lo hace en subasta por Internet. ¡Claro que llama la atención! Pero es su cuerpo, es su desición, es su vida.

Lastimosamente como vivimos en la sociedad del qué dirán, ahora todo el mundo opina, piensa, juzga, analiza, etc.

This story reminds many of the plight of some immigrants living in foreign lands. Rafael Mendez [es] says that meanwhile an immigrant woman has to auction her virginity in Spain, the Ecuadorian media makes money publishing those types of stories, than other information about emigrants abroad. He writes, “Can't the media, at least the national media, write about positive emigrant stories once in a while?”

He also posts an extract of his book ‘Que mi alma se la lleve el diablo' (May the Devil Take my Soul Away) and transcribes one paragraph of his ‘Sudacas‘ a poem about Ecuadorians leaving their country:

Nada bueno hacen por allá/salvo morir trágicamente/andar en pandillas/puterías/conciertos de tecnocumbia/y ya que estamos hablando del asunto/aportar con el nosecuánto por ciento del PIB

This is not the first time that Ecuadorians have had to resort to such actions. There have been other incidents where Ecuadorians have sold organs such as kidneys, lungs, and bone marrow because they were experiencing serious economic problems in Spain.

Blogger Alfredo Vera makes a point to remind us of how Adoum was called among his friends and relatives. They used to call him, “Jorgenrique” or simply “Turquito.”

One of his most famous works was created in collaboration with two other writers Jorge Carrera Andrade [es], Hugo Alemán [es], and painter Jaime Valencia [es]. They created what is often considered to be the cultural anthem of Ecuadorians, the Vasija de Barro [es] (The Mud Vessel). Here one can see the audio and video interpreted by duet Benitez and Valencia. The following is the final verse of this composition:

De ti nací y a ti vuelvo
arcilla vaso de barro
con mi muerte vuelvo a ti
a tu polvo enamorado.

We won't refer to all of Adoum's many contribution to Ecuadorian literature, for that information you just have to Google his name. We will refer to some of the extracts of one of his top writings: Entre Marx y Una Mujer Desnuda (Between Marx and a Nude Woman) which is said to be created on the history of the Ecuadorian Communist Party [es] and one of the most important novels in Ecuador, according to writer Bruno Sáenz [es]. The editor of Lunas Azules [es] had the opportunity to meet Adoum, and she says that he will live on every time she picks up one of his books. She also relates some of the most important episodes from Entre Marx y Una Mujer Desnuda.

Ruben Darío Buitron [es] is a journalist by trade and had the opportunity to interview Adoum last year. He presents a very humanistic, bold, and clear profile of the writer. Adoum told how by being an ‘Ambateño' (originating from the Ecuadorian city of Ambato), that he fell in love with the capital Quito, and its way of life, its people and all of his experiences during his time as student. Even though he spent half of his life living between France, Chile, and his own country, he always held a special place in his heart for Quito. Here is what ‘Jorgenrique' thought of his fellow Ecuadorians:

Los ecuatorianos estrechamos la mano del ser superior, casi temblando, casi temerosos, cómo nos agachamos ante el extranjero, cómo damos rodeos para decir sí o no, cómo bajamos la mirada cuando alguien nos conmina o desafía. Y entonces cuando intentamos sacarnos la camisa de ese complejo nos volvemos agresivos, arrogantes, violentos. No, nada de eso es ser quiteño.

Adoum was already in poor health before his sad passing. While his last poetic anthology, Claudicación Intermitente [es] was being presented in the Benjamin Carrión House in Quito, he said: “I should criticize and regret myself of having believed that I have few friends. That almost everyone who is hear filling the room has touched me deeply. I promise not to say that I have few friends”.

People in Ecuador learned about him while attending school, many teachers required their students to read any of his writings. That's how he earned respect, even when some recognized not to have ever read one of his books. Raul Farias [es] , for example, thinks he likes Adoum because he dreamed of a better country and fought to promote cultural values, especially in the arts. Farias says that Adoum also fought to eliminate discrimination and inequities, trying always to answer the question: “What is an Ecuadorian?”

As mentioned earlier, it is rare when many bloggers want to comment on the same particular topic. Rafael Mendez [es] makes a good selection of YouTube videos where Jorge Enrique reads his own poems and writings. Maria Paula Romo republishes a beautiful poem from the author, I Believe in my Country [es] and for those interested in social networks there is also a Facebook page where one can read commentaries about Jorge Enrique Adoum's passing.

Thumbnail by Jody Art

Aluminum sculpture of the Virgen of Quito at the cuspid of El Panecillo. Photo used under Creative Commons license by http://www.flickr.com/photos/tacvbo/

Fabricio Correa has defended himself by saying that he has been a businessman for 30 years and his brother has only been a politician for only 3 years. However, there are some who saw something suspicious from the beginning, as Santhros tweeted, “New season of ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire?' first contestant: Fabricio Correa.”

Many see the problem in Ecuador directly related to the new Constitution and the role being taken by the state. The increase in regulations make things difficult for Ecuadorians to understand. Ecuador Sin Censura [es] comments on a recent speech given by Rafael Correa, where he defended his brother and accused the media for distorting the information about the business relationship between the state and his brother. However, it was a comment made by Juan Montalvo who also points to the system as allowing something like this happen:

Mi crítica no es personal, sino ideológica. Los escándalos de Fabricio son la punta de un iceberg inevitable. No es culpa total de Correa, es el sistema. Cuanto más interviene el Estado, cuanto más grande se hace el botín político, más corrupción se produce. Tan exacto como las matemáticas. El Sr. Correa podrá tener todas las buenas intenciones del mundo, pero el sistema que propone siempre derivará en corrupción, quiebra económica, clientelismo y frustración social. Solo un negacionista de la historia se empeñaría en seguir defendiendo lo contrario. Lástima que haya tantos.

The organic law for the public procurement system prohibits any business between the the government and relatives of government officials, as it is established by law in the Official Record No. 395 of August 4th, 2008. Manuel Ignacio Gómez Lecaro of Hoy y Ahora [es] wonders why Correa had not criticized these large contracts:

¿Se imaginan cómo hubiese saltado Rafael Correa en sus épocas de ciudadano común si todo esto hubiese sucedido en uno de los gobiernos de quienes él ahora llama “cadáveres políticos”? ¿Se imaginan el escándalo que hubiesen armado los hoy asambleístas y funcionarios del Gobierno? Pero en estos tiempos socialistas parece que no existe la corrupción, solo la mala fe de los medios empeñados en atacar al Gobierno.

(…)

Hasta eso, no hay una sola voz con fuerza en la oposición que diga las cosas como son. Las cortinas y los manteles verdes huelen a podrido, pero pronto se irán olvidando. Correa quedará algo lesionado, pero seguirá avanzando, acaparando poderes, insultando.

Yet, some bloggers see the criticism should fall on the brother for not realizing how the situation might be perceived. Andres Contilde of Modestamente Humano [es] writes that such a move gives opposition to his brother much more ammunition for criticism:

Fabricio Correa: este man sí es la auténtica falla. Cómo va a meterse a concursar siquiera en proyectos para el Estado aunque sea legal la figura con la que entró a participar.

(…)

Sea lo que sea que sea, así haya sido totalmente transparente la contratación, totalmente legal, sin ningún favoritismo y sin mano negra o palanca ya deja para pensar mal. Deja mucha tela para que alguien malintencionado la corte a diestra y siniestra. Ahora se planea reformar la ley, en teoría Rafael Correa solicitará la nulidad de esos contratos para que se vayan quitando las sombras de duda, pero con el solo hecho de que las sombras hayan aparecido ya se hizo un gran daño

After public debate, President Correa has announced that the government will unilaterally cancel the contracts [es] made with companies in which his brother is a participating member. At the same time, he criticized Fabricio for the business indicating that he may not have violated the letter of the law, but he did violate the “spirit” of the law that prohibits this kinds of business. However, as Contilde mentioned, the damage has already been done.

This zone in the Pacific Ocean is easily recognizable because of its fauna like Solitary George, the 70-year-old giant turtle who is unable to find a suitable mate. He is in danger of extinction because he is the only type of this turtle still in existence. Other species in danger of extinction include the medium tree-finch (pinzón) [es] and the pink iguana [es]. Many of these were the basis of Charles Darwin's studies.

Ecuadorians are congratulated for its early success in the competition, and the government claims that such success can be attributed to the Minister of Tourism, Veronica Sion and her fight to get the UNESCO to review its decision in 2007 to include the Galapagos Islands on the list of heritage places in danger.

A warning notice to all visitors placed by the Commandant of the 2nd. Ecuadorian Naval Zone. Photo used under Creative Commons license by http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonpearce/

Ecuadorian bloggers like Waldemar Verdugo Fuentes of Islas Galápagos, Reserva de la Humanidad [es] are especially proud of the Islands and he relates what it was like to be on the islands for a second time. He also observed some changes caused by more residents and increased tourism on the island.

Otro problema igualmente grave es la migración de colonos del continente, que son atraídos por el “dólar fácil” del turismo. La tasa de crecimiento poblacional de la provincia de Galápagos asciende a 6 por ciento anual, la más alta de Ecuador (promedio nacional 2.08). Actualmente, 16 mil habitantes pueblan la región. Demasiados colonos para unas islas que exigen una rigurosa disciplina de vida. Los asentamientos urbanos conllevan la sobreexplotación de los recursos marinos, la acumulación de desechos, introducción de enfermedades, plantas e insectos, avispas, babosas, pulgones, 21 especies de vertebrados foráneos (chivos, perros, cerdos, gatos, ratas) y 261 plantas introducidas desde el continente, como la guayaba y la mora.

Pond full of tortoises, relatives of the Islands symbol at Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos. Photo used under Creative Commons by http://www.flickr.com/photos/kathb/

Carlos Jordan, writing for Tecnodatum [es] explains what other islands the Galapagos are competing against, and stresses the importance of the economic impact if they emerge as one of the New Wonders. However, he expects the flow of tourist will increase, and hopes that this does not destroy theses islands.

Xavier Loor has been following the event and encouraging the vote for the Archipelago of Galapagos [es]. He says this is only a possibility that will become a reality only with support of all of his readers. In just a week, it went from being in the 8th position, and it is now No.1 in Group B (Islands), followed by Cocos Island (Costa Rica) and Ometepe Island (Nicaragua).

Despite all of the excitement of the Galapagos Islands, Ayllyn N. Franco of Bludger Hecha Letras [es] makes a point to let everyone know that Ecuador also has the Amazonian region in the competition. She believes Ecuadorians must support his or her country and shows the voting path to follow.

In mid-July we will know the 77 finalists for the best places in the world to visit, with the winners announced in 2011. For those interested in supporting the Galapagos Islands vote here and vote for the nine countries linked by the Amazon, River/Forest, which also includes Ecuador.

Unionized teachers marching for a salary increase on the streets of Machala, province of El Oro, Ecuador. Photo used under permission by http://www.diariocorreo.com.ec

Many groups of the Teacher's Union are expressing themselves about the evaluation. The UNE of Carchi [es], for example, have started a protest in support of those schools that refused to be evaluated [es].

David Guamba of Ecuador Noticias [es] explains what the evaluation consists of and wonders what the teachers are afraid of:

Según el Ministro del ramo, Raul Vallejo, se aplicarán dos tipos de evaluaciones: interna y externa. La interna la realizan colegas, directivos, estudiantes, padres y madres, y el mismo maestro (autoevaluación); además se realiza la observación de una hora de clase. Todas estas evaluaciones internas suman el 50 por ciento de la calificación. Por otra parte está la evaluación externa, que consiste en la aplicación de pruebas sobre conocimientos específicos que tendrán un peso del 30 por ciento, prueba de conocimientos pedagógicos que tendrá un peso del 10 por ciento y prueba de habilidades didácticas que tendrá un peso del 10 por ciento de la calificación total.

Los docentes que obtengan una evaluación final mayor a 90 por ciento (excelente) accederán a becas o pasantías, serán maestros en programas de capacitación, y recibirán un estímulo económico de 1.200 dólares cada año, hasta la nueva evaluación, que será después de cuatro años.

Teachers that do not pass the first evaluation will be required to take a year of training after which they will be given the opportunity to re-take the evaluation. Only then, if he or she does not pass, will the teacher be terminated from the teaching post.

Belem Proaño of Temas Para Debatir [es] agrees that refusing to be evaluated has a negative impact on the teachers and that this resistence is being seen as resistence to change, which is something that the country is going through:

La educación es un tema muy sensible dentro de una sociedad porque tiene relación con su futuro. Si los maestros se niegan a ser evaluados, más bien presionados por su sindicato, se enfrentan a una imagen mediocre frente a los ciudadanos. Este es un tema muy comentado en el país pero todo se ha quedado prácticamente en la polémica.

Personalmente pienso que ningún profesional debería tener miedo a una evaluación porque las evaluaciones no son represiones sino un instrumento que permite conocer la realidad de la educación. Con ello las medidas que se tomen o las planificaciones que se realicen serán más exactas o menos propensas al error.

Much of this resistance is bringing into discussion the role of the teacher's union and whether or not the union is politically motivated. Even though the blogger at Ecuador Sin Censura [es] is openly against the government of President Rafael Correa, he thinks that it is a good thing that he is standing up to the teacher's union which has a close connection with the political party the Democratic People's Movement (MPD).

Former Education Minister Alfredo Vera Arrata criticizes the MPD in his blog because a group of 30 members of the Democratic Popular Movement (MPD), who are presumably teachers even though they have never been in a classroom, are manipulating the situation and they are collecting salaries. Vera is one of the supporters, along with current Education Minister Vallejo, who is behind the alternative to the UNE. The Unitary Front of Education Workers (FUTE) which has been accused to be dividing the larger UNE [es]. This arm of organized teachers has more than 40 thousand members and presents a dilemma to the UNE.

While support for the evaluation is widespread, there is still some sympathy for teachers across the country. Columnist Fernando Balseca of the newspaper El Universo says that the government is forgetting that teachers are underpaid and that the country has never had an Education Minister who has come from the classroom. He also notes that it is ironic that the officials leading the charge on the evaluation have come from the same schools and even taught by some of the same teachers that are now threatened with dismissal if they do not take the evaluation.

However, some are still criticizing President Correa for his handling of the protests and evaluation process. Again, the blogger of Ecuador Sin Censura [es] does not see why the government is invoking Article 38, paragraph of the Teacher's Act as basis for firing teachers who refuse to be evaluated. It says that teachers can be fired for proven incompetence, and that refusing to take a test does not demonstrate that fact.

Finally, Julio C. Enriquez of Ultimatum [es] thinks Correa has some limits and calls for dialogue between both parties. He asks why Correa, instead of challenging leaders and members of the UNE, why doesn't he call for a national dialogue and allows the educators to have a fair hearing and to present their own proposal so that together they can work out what is best for Ecuadorian education:

Siendo así las cosas ¿Porqué Correa aparece altisonante, con una política de amenazas hacia los profesores de la UNE, francamente tonta. ¿Por qué no convoca al magisterio a un gran diálogo nacional para enfrentar juntos el desafío de transformar para siempre el pesado fardo de una educación básica preterida por todos los gobiernos de turno? ¿Por qué Correa no interroga a la UNE acerca de que propuesta tiene para transformar la educación y la compara con su visión del mundo ahora que como máximo representante de su clase social –la pequeña burguesía progresista–,se erige en clase dominante en el poder? ¿Por qué el método de choque?

UNE's leaders are expected to celebrate a National Council meeting on Monday, June 1st to discuss strategies about future actions, and they already are calling for national march on June 11th. Rafael Méndez planned to attend the rally that Correa called in Guayaquil on Friday, May 29 in support of his evaluation proposal. Méndez believes that it is important to support Correa and cites the reason that 12 thousand teachers (members of UNE) have been cashing their checks without even work. He adds:

de ser así, ellos no tendrían autoridad moral para dejar de año a los estudiantes que se nieguen a hacer exámenes en los colegios.

“Mama Tránsito” as she was also known, died on the special day in Ecuador, Mother's Day. As a member of the Kichwa indigenous community, their belief is that she passed from the Pachamama (Mother Earth) to the Samay Pacha (Spiritual World) and that death should not bring sadness, but rather a joyful and colorful celebration. Mama Tránsito is said to be lived almost a century but as usually happens with some Ecuadorians families, her biography says she was born on 1909, but she maintained that she was born six years earlier.

Ecuadorian bloggers are saddened by her passing and commemorate the legacy Mama Tránsito has left to the contemporary Ecuadorian indigenous movement. Vamos a Cambiar el Mundo [es] republishes an article written by Silvia Cuevas-Morales. The article recounts Mama Tránsito's childhood in Huasipungo and how her mother wanted her to attend school so that she would not be illiterate. However, she soon had to work as a domestic employee for the hacienda owners.

The poor treatment and inequality that she witnessed firsthand motivated her to become involved fighting for the rights of indigenous communities. As a result, she became heavily involved with unions and she helped establish the first agrarian syndicates in Ecuador. In addition, she was a founding member of Ecuadorian Indians Federation (FEI) and the first Ecuadorian bilingual schools.

Photo of President Rafael Correa attending the funeral. Used under a Creative Commons license. http://www.flickr.com/photos/presidenciaecuador/3529551826/

During her visits to Cuba, she learned to read and write during a time when education for the indigenous was prohibited at the time. As a member of the Communist party, Mama Tránsito is remembered as a ‘comrade' and the blog of the Communist Youth of Ecuador [es] honors her life's work because the indigenous sectors were opressed and expoited and how they “did not make decisions over their own lives like work animals.” They are also hopeful and write:

Pero estamos seguros al igual que “Mama Tránsito” que “Llegará el día en que los indígenas, negros, blancos, mulatos, mestizos comeremos en un solo plato, todos y todas”.

She was an inspiration to many, and university student Nati Wolf of La Chica de la Luna [es] chose Mama Tránsito for her class assignment about a person of history. With her classmates, Wolf visited the community of La Chimba to meet her in person. This blogger writes about what she calls the ‘other side' of Tránsito Amaguaña and the conditions she saw in which the indigenous leader lived. Wolf stresses that even with relative progress that many of Tránsito's concerns remain unsolved:

Sus ojos llorosos y cansados, sus arrugas y las venas abultadas por donde se expresaba toda una vida llena de experiencia y de lucha, me hacían ver que aún hay mucho camino por recorrer, aunque ella haya logrado cierta estabilidad en varios ámbitos. La pobreza aún existe, la discriminación es pan de cada día y cada segundo de nuestras vidas, nuestros derechos siguen siendo violentados.

Estoy segura que quiénes fuimos a conocerla, nos marcó la vida. El destino quiso que la conociéramos antes de que partiera de este mundo. Nos regaló la semilla de la perseverancia y valentía con que se debe seguir luchando. Y sabemos que cuando estamos unidos se puede lograr muchas cosas..

For photos of Wolf's visit, please visit her Flickr page.

There are two videos (I & II) in YouTube that help us understand better the life of Transito Amaguaña. El Universo [es] also has a photo gallery with pictures.

At the center of the lawsuit seeking 27 billion dollars for the pollution and environmental damages is whether the company, which turned over exploration of the area to the state company Petroecuador in 1992, is still responsible for the damage. Some critics of the lawsuit claim that the government is trying to dip their hands in the “deep pockets” of the petroleum company and denying their own role in the environmental pollution.

Debris left by Texaco over one of the Nueva Loja rivers. Picture used under Creative Commons by http://www.flickr.com/photos/00rinihartman/

The case has attracted the interest of journalists who have visited the region of Lago Agrio, a province of Sucumbíos, to see the area firsthand. One of these journalists was Greg Palast of the BBC visited the Cofan indigenous community after a canoe ride to reach the remote location and wrote, “I know this is an incredibly simple story. Indians in white hats with their dead kids and oil millionaires in black hats laughing at kiddy cancer and playing musical chairs with oil assets.” Another, Hannah Dahlstrom of Upside Down World interviewed Emergildo Criollo, who represented the Cofan community, as well as other groups like the Kichwa and Secoya. The recent airing of the piece on 60 Minutes also caused Geoffrey Styles, a former Texaco employee and blogger at Energy Outlook to add his thoughts about the piece:

My purpose here is not to make their case or to suggest that Texaco operated the Ecuadoran fields in the 1960s, '70s and '80s to the standards that prevail today, decades later. But I do feel the need to point out that there is another side to this story that you didn't see last Sunday, and it is not remotely the black and white tale of a big corporation behaving badly that “60 Minutes” portrayed. I am disappointed that CBS allowed itself to be used to paint such a one-sided picture, sullying the reputation of a company I knew inside and out, and of the tens of thousands of fine, responsible people who worked there–not a gang of environmental criminals. I know “60 Minutes” can do better.

The suit gets complicated due to Texaco's payment of $40 million for the damages and after the Ecuadorian Petroleum Ministry signed a “final release” indicated that the company had fulfilled its duties in regards to their role in the environmental pollution. However, a new law was passed in 1999 allowing any individual to sue for environmental damages and led to the lawsuit led by the Ecuadorian lawyer Pablo Fajardo.

Several Ecuadorian bloggers have written about the lawsuit and the two sides to the argument. Luis Alberto Mendieta of Política y Sociedad [es] cites Diego Delgado, a recent presidential candidate about the history of multinational companies operating in Ecuador, which usually meant profiting from the natural resources leaving very little benefit for the host country.

Ecuadorians in the Orient are not happy with what Texaco left behind. The company is among the top 7 seven most irresponsible companies and is reported to have left contamination of soil, groundwater, and surface streams that is said to have caused local indigenous and peasant settlers to suffer a wave of mouth, stomach and uterine cancer, birth defects, and spontaneous miscarriages. Emma Dish a traveler to Nueva Loja, writes a long post in her blog Where in the world is Emma Dish? where she publishes photos of the area and speaks with local residents:

Hands down, the scenes I saw and the stories I heard yesterday made for the most horrific day of my life. I cried all the way back to Quito. I´m close to tears now.

She also spoke with Emergildo Criollo, who is an activist and talked about the health problems of the community:

He talked of the illnesses that came with petroleum, the wrenching stomach and head pains, blistering skins, widespread cancer that, for the first time in the histories of their people, could not be cured by their Shamans.

What an utter blow to the lifestyle for these people, to their culture, their traditions and their identities. Puff the Magic Dragon skulked back to his cave to morn the pile of scales at his feet.

At no point did ANYONE inform them of the dangers of continuing their relationship with their water ways as they always had. No one suggested the stop bathing in, washing in, or drinking their former life streams that were rapidly becoming contaminated with dangerous petro-chemicals. Somehow it never occurred to anyone to mention to this nation of fishermen not to consider the dead fish they found along the river banks a blessing. All the while their people were dying of cancer 8 hours and unimaginable sums of money away from the nearest hospitals (particularly difficult for a people whose livestock and lively hoods were fleeing with the fish) and their women were giving birth to children with yams where two fingers should be.

Even Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa has come out in favor of the residents and their lawsuit. However, the company is alleging that the government is interfering with the court ruling to be taken by a judge in Nueva Loja by applying pressure to rule against the oil company. J Major [es] agrees with the U.S. company:

Este respaldo a la demanda puede hacer al presidente más popular (si cabe) pero no le hace bien a los demandantes. Si llegara a haber una sentencia en contra de Texaco, la petrolera internacional podría argumentar que el fallo se debió a la presión política que el juez habría de recibir.

Pañacocha lagoon at canton Shushufindi, Sucumbios-Ecuador. Photo used under Creative Commons by http://www.flickr.com/photos/30265396@N06/

With the decision yet to be made, Chevron is fearing a multi-billion dollar award to be given to Ecuador and they have started a public relations campaign. One member of that campaign is former CNN journalist, Gene Randall who has worked on a video that presents the side of the petroleoum company. The Chevron Pit writes:

Apparently frustrated by the news reporter's irritating habit of independently investigating what they report, Chevron has hired and paid a former CNN news anchor, Gene Randall, to produce a pro-Chevron video that has all the appearances of an actual, independent, news story that is blatantly designed to mislead observers into thinking that it is an actual independent look at the dispute in Ecuador.

Chevron is also questioning the role of Richard Cabrera, a court-appointed expert on the lawsuit. As a geological engineer, his technical report can be seen here. However, Cabrera has been accused of improperly collaborating with the plaintiff. Chevron says they have photo evidence on its Flickr account of his technical team receiving logistical support from Amazon Defense Coalition, a civic group that backs the plaintiffs and that would receive and disburse a portion of any payments.

With the lawsuit expected to be completed by the end of this year, the communities in the affected region are seeking some resolution to their claims that the health and environment have been drastically affected by this industry. Chevron knows that public opinion is stacked against them and have been using public relations campaign to show their side of the story.

Photo by Ecuadorian Presidency and used under a Creative Commons license. http://www.flickr.com/photos/presidenciaecuador/3480496889/

His victory gives Correa to chance to strengthen what he calls “21st Century Socialism.” Ecuadorian bloggers are reflecting on what must be changed of improved if the goal of lowering poverty can be realized.

Joselias Sánchez [es] is a teacher and journalist in Manta and elaborates upon three points of what he has seen during the Ecuadorian elections. He writes that the results are not surprising and adds on some statistics:

Su triunfo, inobjetable ratifica su poderosa subyugación sobre los ciudadanos ecuatorianos. Según el exitpoll a boca de urna, el 55,2 por ciento de los 10 millones 591 mil electores sufragaron a favor del Mandatario – candidato. Está masa electoral está integrada por 9 millones 111 mil 162 ciudadanos, 715 mil 972 analfabetos y, cuatro sectores que, por primera vez sufragan por así disponerlo la Constitución: 55 mil 066 militares, 39 mil 501 policías, 507 mil 534 adolescentes entre 13 a 18 años, y 86 mil 426 extranjeros con cinco o más años de residencia en el país.

Bloggers are also taking a closer look at the results. Fatima Efigenia [es] points to the difference in the percentage of votes that Correa received during this election and his favorable rating and the previous Constitutional Referendum, where Correa has been receiving close to 70%

Among those who did not support Correa is Santhros of Autentico Ecuatoriano [es] who criticizes the goal of socialism from the administration, saying that Karl Marx would laugh at his current version. He thinks that Correa's socialism does not work for everyone, just for determined groups:

Donde no hay justicia de tribunal, no hay justicia social. Un estado engrosado acompaña a una economia raquitizada. Solo la producción elimina la pobreza. Solo la educación capacita a los ciudadanos a ejercer sus derechos y cumplir sus obligaciones en democracia. El único ser que te puede sacar de la pobreza material estará siempre frente a ti en el espejo. Las buenas intenciones mal encaminadas producen mas muertos y desatres que una guerrila. Hasta Pinochet, Stalin y Pol Pot pudieron haber tenido buenas intenciones.

Poverty is not the only issue on the minds of Ecuadorians who went to the polls to elect leaders to be able to solve them. The re-elected President still faces serious problems including the ongoing issue of crime. There is an Ecuadorian living in Spain who shares his experiences and calls attention to young people in Ecuador about importance of dialogue, even with the opposition. He has special advice for all on how to solve the important issue of crime. Christian Gallegos writes [es]:

…Una es que los jóvenes que ingresan al mundo laboral no tienen trabajo, y el segundo es que la manera de pensar en la juventud Ecuatoriana es muy acomplejada en un gran colectivo los típicos < < aniñados de casa de caña>>, que creen que por trabajar en construcción, barrenderos, etc., pasan a ser de otro grupo social. Aquí en España donde vivo ya hace 10 años, todo esto es diferente, la juventud trabaja en lo que sea, para así tener dinero el fin de mes y disfrutar de la vida, ahorrar y muchas cosas mas que con dinero se puede hacer, !ese tenia que ser el pensamiento de todos los jóvenes Ecuatorianos¡, y así hacer de Ecuador un país mas productivo y desarrollado.

Ecuadorian journalist and former Ecuavisa anchor, Carlos Vera. Used under his permission

However, Vera denies this claim and says that it has to do with an alleged insult towards President Correa [es] (see video).

Because of his visibility and the trajectories as journalist both on television and in print, Vera is well-known person in Ecuador and local bloggers have their own opinions. However, he is not loved by all, and Autentico Ecuatoriano [es] describes him:

Carlos Vera Rodríguez es quizá el periodista más polémico del Ecuador en las últimas dos décadas. Dueño de un estilo incisivo, arrogante, en veces hasta raya en la petulancia y eso lo hace no sólo un poco antipático

Despite this, the station has to consider external pressures. Francisco Suarez of Desde mi Trinchera [es] believes the Roca family, owners of Ecuavisa and other media entities in the country, have had to act according to how it would affect business and have had to sacrifice the journalistic work of the channel due to pressures:

Carlos Vera Rodríguez nunca fue un periodista de mi predilección. Grosero como él sólo a más no poder, estrujaba a sus entrevistados como lavandera a jeans viejos. Palo y más palo. Contrapuntos fuertes y en vivo transmitidos en Ecuavisa ni bien el gallo dejaba de cantar. Sin embargo (y lo digo con la convicción de haberlo vivido como entrevistado suyo que fui por dos ocasiones) cada palabra o argumento que soltaba su boca venía cargada de datos soportados por documentos oficiales obtenidos de fuentes confiables.

Ecuador Sin Censura [es] also agrees that the owners were receiving pressure from the government to silent dissident voices, such as the journalist who was fired. The government provides a lot of business to Ecuavisa and there were some hints dropped in order to remind the station about this.

With the departure of a figure of the likes of Vera, many doubt the credibility and independence of television media channels like Ecuavisa. Auténtico Ecuatoriano [es] refers to another of the journalists, Jorge Ortiz, who has a program on the same TV channel:

Ortiz hizo lo correcto, callar hasta encontrar el momento acertado para dar una estocada final: la seriedad de los Noticieros y Programas de Opinión de Ecuavisa estarán ya no en entredicho de aqui en adelante, sino que su credibilidad tocaría asintóticamente el CERO.

While Diaro Relativo [es] applauds the decision of the directors of the channel and criticizes Mr. Vera:

Ecuavisa se puso las pilas al cancelar el programa de Carlos Vera “Cero Tolerancia”, es una medida muy justa, los televidentes estábamos ya hasta el copete de la arrogancia y parcialización de dicho mediocre periodista ( aunque en este país no hay periodistas excelentes).

During his time off the air, fans of Vera can voice support for him on a Facebook group.