The largest Ecuadorian city, both in size and population is Guayaquil, located on the Pacific Coast and with a population of about two and a half million. The second largest city is the nation's capital, Quito, located high in the Andes with a population of a little over half a million. The third largest Ecuadorian city (by population) is not in Ecuador, it is in North America, in the United States! New York is the third largest Ecuadorian city with an Ecuadorian population that is only slightly smaller than Quito at around half a million! The country of Ecuador's entire population is only around 15 million souls, and around ten percent of its population lives outside of the country, legally or illegally. The largest concentration of Ecuadorians are found in the U.S. and Spain, about a half a million each of legal residents and another quarter of a million each of illegal residents.
In the U.S., the largest concentration of Ecuadorians is found in New York, followed by Los Angeles and Miami. After that, Ecuadorians are found just about everywhere else! Obviously, Ecuadorians in general are very fond of the United States. Yet, as I have mentioned in the previous blogs, their politicians seem to hate the United States with a passion! It isn't so much jealousy that seems to be at the root of their ill will against the U.S. It is quite understandable when a smaller, weaker and poorer country has ill feelings against a bigger and richer country. But the almost venomous ill will displayed by some Ecuadorian politicians seems to go beyond that! Fortunately, Ecuadorians and Latin Americans in general do not feel the same way as some of their politicians!
Rafael Correa has been the President of Ecuador since 2007. He is a member and founder of the Alianza Pais Party, a leftist party composed of several other leftist parties that he united into one large group. Correa describes himself as a "humanist," a Christian Leftist (whatever that means), and a proponent of 21st Century Socialism. He is closely allied with Venezuela, Bolivia, Cuba, and Iran! He was a close friend and an admirer of Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. Oh, and Correa is a U.S. trained Economist. He received a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Illinois.
One of the first things that Correa did when he came into office as President of Ecuador was to announce that Ecuador's three billion dollar international debt was illegitimate and that Ecuador would not pay it! Amazingly, the IMF (International Monetary Fund) did nothing, and Correa got away with it! Ultimately Ecuador's international debt holders agreed to a much smaller repayment! What a bunch of wimps! But then again, short of declaring war on Ecuador, what could they do? It was equivalent to someone announcing that their mortgage and car loan and credit card balance were illegitimate and that they would no longer pay! Do you think that the U.S. banks would go along with that? I might rethink my financial situation and take a page from Correa!
In 2009 when our 10 year lease expired on our base at Eloy Alfaro Airport in Manta, a base that we needed for counter narcotics operations, Correa refused to renew the lease. He responded to U.S. queries by stating that he would grant a lease renewal if the U.S. would give a base to Ecuador in Miami! A ridiculous proposal that was nothing but Correa tweaking the nose of Uncle Sam. At the same time, Correa expelled our Military Assistance Group to Ecuador. The MilGroup, as it is called, was very much involved in the counter narcotics efforts, so their expulsion lessened our effort in that area.
Quite frankly, it was puzzling why he chose not to renew the lease on the base at Manta. The U.S. presence brought much needed revenue to the area, house rentals and general shopping by the military and their families was a boon to Manta, not to mention the annual lease money that the Ecuadorian government received. When the U.S. moved out, Manta felt the economic pinch immediately! More than likely, it was to show his "buddies," Hugo Chavez in Venezuela and his Iranian, Cuban, Bolivian buddies that he could tweak the Yankee nose just as they did from time to time, even at the expense of the people in Manta.
There is, of course, another theory. Colombia accused Correa of being complicit with the leftist guerrilla group FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia - The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). Colombian forces raided a camp across their border in Ecuador which was used as a sanctuary by FARC. They killed one of the FARC leaders and captured a number of documents which they say clearly implicates Correa with FARC. FARC is known to be involved in narcotics trade. Correa, of course, vehemently denied ties with FARC and threatened to go to war with Colombia. Of course FARC was tied to Hugo Chavez, and Correa was a great admirer of Chavez. When Chavez compared George W. Bush to the devil, Correa said it was "unfair to the devil!"
A seemingly imbalanced, volatile, and at time down right puzzling individual, Correa somehow manages to maintain the support of the Ecuadorian people. Like Abdala Bucaram before him, he manages to survive outlandish statements and unreasonable actions. Correa's father was convicted of cocaine smuggling in 1970. This is a very sore point with him and any journalist who dares to bring up this topic usually receives the full blast of his wrath. He has shut down newspapers and television stations without batting an eye. It is puzzling why he hates the U.S. so much, especially since he went to graduate school in America. Perhaps something personal, unpleasant happened to him when he was here, who knows?
Despite the hatred displayed by Ecuadorian politicians for the United States, most of them would gladly come and live here! As I mentioned elsewhere, they all go to Miami to do their shopping! It is truly puzzling why they have such dislike for the U.S., yet do not hesitate to come to Miami for shopping or for medical treatment! On the other hand, the people of Ecuador in general are warm and friendly, and genuinely like America, why else over a half a million of them would live in the U.S.! I am quite fond of the country of Ecuador and its people, but its politicians have always been a puzzle to me.
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