Ecuador and Bolivia Relations With the United States

article from April 6, 2012

by Julie R Butler

When US citizens are considering where the perfect Latin American country for them to live might be, there is more to look at beyond cost of living, weather, and culture. While these are all very important, one item that is often ignored or brushed aside as less significant is the relationship the country being looked at has with your home nation.

When it comes to the two nations of Ecuador, a very popular South American expat destination, and Bolivia, a more off-the-beaten-path cultural immersion experience, the question of where relations with the United States stand is not an easy one to answer.

The presidents of both countries have, in recent years, antagonized the United States, bringing about deteriorations in bilateral relations and periods when there were mutual ambassadorial vacancies that lasted for about eight months in Ecuador and for more than three years now in Bolivia. The situation in Ecuador was at least partly rectified, as Natalie Cely, the new ambassador to the United States, stepped into office in December 2011. For its part, the US will send a new ambassador to Ecuador ...as soon as Congress gets around to confirming the nomination. As for Bolivia, happily, the United States and Bolivia officially agreed last February to reinstate their long-missing ambassadors – albeit at some un-designated point in the future.

The dances that each of these nations are dancing with the United States are intricate and confusing. Mixed signals and coyness are the norm. In one arena, smiles and friendship abound, while in another, angry words and shaking fists make for good political theater. The presidents of both Ecuador and Bolivia are strong, left-wing populist personalities, so fiery rhetoric is all part of the dance.

The interrelationships between all the nations of the region are equally intricate and confusing, as their histories include regional warfare following their battles for independence from colonization, with further border disputes springing up and dragging on through the years. Yet for many, there is a deeply held Bolivarian desire for all of Latin America to be joined together into one coherent unit, with the idea that the whole will be greater than the sum of its parts. And one of the greatest forces joining all together is a rejection of influence by the United States, the nation that, having gained its independence some three decades ahead of any other country in the hemisphere, stepped into the power vacuum created by Spain’s retreat, to become a new kind of economic colonizer.

It is, in many ways, a love/hate relationship. Leaders don’t like to be perceived as dependent and weak, and they play wholeheartedly to the “you’re not the boss of me” sentiment toward the United States within their countries. However, these nations need the resources that the United States showers them with in order to buy their loyalty.

Bolivia’s Evo Morales

In 2006, Bolivian President Evo Morales began accusing the US military of using operatives disguised as students and tourists to infiltrate and try to destabilize his country, and in 2008, he kicked out USAID, Ambassador Philip S. Gordon, and the DEA. Obviously, this did not make for a very safe situation for actual students, tourists, or any other US citizens in Bolivia. But in May 2009, the two countries reengaged in dialogue in order to work together on drug-trade interdiction, a high priority for the United States in the region. Last November, the Bolivian government ratified into law a framework agreement with the expectation that the United States would adapt a “non-intrusive” and “more transparent, respectful and honest attitude” toward the Plurinational State of Bolivia. In return for social and economic development aid, Morales has once again begun to cooperate with the United States in combating the drug gangs that have been utilizing Bolivia as a transshipment point for distributing narcotics from Colombia and elsewhere to eastern destinations such as Europe. Now, he has even agreed to allow the United States to bring in new technology to monitor and eradicate coca plantations using advanced laser systems and satellite imagery.

However, a recent incident in Santa Cruz between the Bolivian security forces and the US Embassy highlights the disconnect between policy and cooperative programs vs. the reality on the ground.

Evo Morales calling the US government discriminatory, undemocratic, and racist because of its veto of Cuban participation the upcoming Summit of the Americas in Colombia doesn’t help the atmosphere in the country for US citizens much, either.

Ecuador’s Rafael Correa

Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa, in an even bigger huff, has announced that he will boycott the summit over the exclusion of Cuba (the only nation in the Western Hemisphere that is not a de facto member of the Organization of American States), putting the blame squarely on the United States rather than buying into any sort of diplomatic “well, there was a lack consensus on the issue” language that is being bandied about. He was hoping that his leftist friends in Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Bolivia would join his boycott, but they have not, as of yet, as the summit is a substantive gathering of the hemisphere’s heads of state.

The number of US citizens living in Ecuador, estimated by the US State Department to be 50,000, is one factor that works to counteract the president’s bluster and strengthen ties between the two nations, along with the 250,000 US citizens who visit annually, more than 100 US companies conducting business in the country, and the many Ecuadorians who live in the United States. Other signs that bilateral relations are not completely severed are that USAID and other aid organizations operate in the country. Perhaps most telling is that the United States is Ecuador’s principle trade partner.

The counter-narcotics dance between Ecuador and the United States is as dysfunctional/co-dependent as the economic relationship. In short, the two countries need each other, so they each have to put up with the other’s quirks and personalities. As far as attitudes on the ground, the situation does not appear to be much different from many other places throughout Latin America where cultural and economic disparities are bound to pose security problems, while navigating around historical tensions and gross generalizations is something that each individual must work on for themselves.

Julie R Butler is a writer, journalist, editor, and author of several books, including Nine Months in Uruguay and No Stranger To Strange Lands (click here for more info). She is a contributor to Speakout at Truthout.org, and her current blog is Connectively Speaking.

email: julierbutler [at] yahoo [dot] com, Twitter: @JulieRButler

South America News Roundup Nov 3, 2011: Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela

article from November 3, 2011

By Jamie Douglas

Colombia: Adios, domestic intelligence service

In what was an expected move, Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos has dismantled his nation’s feared domestic intelligence service, known as DAS. This rogue agency had run its course long before a former chief of the DAS was sentenced to 25 years in prison for having given lists of union leaders, students, and left-wing organizers to the right-wing paramilitaries so they could be liquidated.

This assassin-by-proxy was chosen to head the organization by former President Alvaro Uribe, who himself should be tried in The Hague for his many crimes against humanity. Several former high-ranking members of the agency have also been imprisoned for their part in wiretapping judges, opposition politicians, journalists and dissenting members of the ruling party. Uribe himself has been repeatedly accused of masterminding the wiretapping, but he steadfastly denies that he ever ordered any of that, blaming it instead on “rogue agents.”

The new president signed a decree dissolving the agency, announcing; “Today the DAS turns 58 years old, and at 58, we are going to liquidate it.” This is a huge step forward for Colombia.

Bolivia: Morales vs. indigenous land rights

President Evo Morales had to acknowledge defeat at the hands of the several hundred Amazonian marchers protesting his arrogant encroachment onto a constitutionally guaranteed native territory, the Territorio Indígena Parque Nacional Isiboro Sécure. Brazil, which is pushing the project as well as financing it, is waiting for a decision by the Bolivian government to discuss an alternate route. The road project was to provide Brazil with a direct superhighway to the Pacific Ocean. Meanwhile, Morales’ coca-growing brethren have held their own vigil against the jungle-dwelling protesters. They were looking forward to occupying the land the land that would be opened up by the project and using for growing coca crops. They support the road, claiming that the local area will benefit tremendously from the improved access that would have been given to them to transport their wares to market. Who knew there was such a huge market for coca leaves!

Morales recently also purchased for himself a US$30 million Falcon 900 EX executive jet, pretty much top of the line in private jets. It seems that exposure to all of the state’s wealth is turning the formerly socialist coca growing “people’s president” into a connoisseur of finer things as he abandons the promises made to the indigenous tribes who elected him. In addition, he has ordered the construction of a $1.5 million presidential terminal. Power corrupts!

Venezuela: Foreign holdings nationalization campaign

In his ongoing campaign to nationalize foreign holdings, El Maximum Líder in denial has announced that the Bolivarian nation will seize an additional 700,000 acres of land from Agropecuaria Flora, owned by the UK’s Vestey Group. This is the second huge parcel owned by the Vestey Group to be nationalized, and the reason given was that the group would not accept the Venezuelan government’s offer of payment in Bolivars, which then would be almost impossible for them to repatriate.

Meanwhile the tin-pot dictator, a great admirer of Muamar Ghadaffi’s many clownish uniforms, has decided that he will buy off the armed forces for the coming elections by giving them a 50% pay raise, the second major increase given to them in the last 18 months. Maybe, just maybe, he is trying to buy the loyalty of the troops.

Jamie Douglas

San Rafael, Mendoza

I encourage you to write me at cruzansailor [at] gmail [dot] com with any questions or suggestions you may have. Disclaimer: I am not in any travel-related business. My advice is based on my own experiences and is free of charge (Donations welcome). It is always my pleasure to act as a beneficial counselor to those who are seekers of the next adventure.

South America News Roundup Oct 18, 2011: Argentina, Venezuela, Bolivia

article from October 18, 2011

By Jamie Douglas

Argentina: Vog

For those of us living in some parts of Argentina, yesterday morning brought a renewal of the ash fall from Chile’s Puyehue Volcano. Instead of the crisp blue skies we have been getting accustomed to, we are under a blanket of vog (volcanic smog). On Sunday, I got up around dawn to let the dog out, and there was a heavy layer of what I thought was fog about 300 meters to the south which, it turns out, was that unpleasant ash, having drifted north and then east, once again wreaking havoc with air transportation across the region. All flights in and out of Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Mendoza and Montevideo have been grounded, and there is absolutely no service to the rest of the country. Hopefully we will not see another repeat of the situation a few months ago, when Australia and New Zealand were affected likewise. Sleep sweet Puyehue, sleep!

Venezuela: Hugo

Venezuela’s President Hugo Chávez is back in Cuba for a complete checkup, after his fourth and final chemotherapy treatment. He appeared at the airport, joking that he was going to grow an afro when his hair resumed growing. The opposition has demanded that he come clean with his health status, stating that he was very ill, and he owed it to the country to reveal what type of cancer he had (probably prostate) as well as what his actual condition is and not treat it like a state secret. El Maximum Líder countered that he was in excellent health and that he would “sail” through the coming elections next year and be reelected. I think Venezuela could use a change!

Bolivia: Evo

Meanwhile in Bolivia, the coca-farmer president, Evo Morales, got spanked again by his constituents when close to 70% of the ballots for the election of his handpicked judges were turned in blank or spoiled. He not only had his cronies change the constitution to allow him to run again, but now he is going to stack the deck in every court having any constitutional powers. The people who put him into office, the indigenous masses of the country, are plenty pissed off at him for several breaches of trust, the latest being when police and military attacked peaceful protesters walking to the capital of La Paz to voice their protests against a Brazilian-financed four-lane highway through their tribal lands, which are supposed to be guaranteed to them. Evo ¿que pasa? Is the power of the presidency blinding you to your people’s needs?

You say “Falklands”, I say “Malvinas”

When it comes to delusional politicians, Argentina certainly has its share. Take for instance Argentine representative at the United Nations Jorge Argüello. His recent statements before the world body in regard to the Falkland Islands would make more sense if they had been uttered by a 3rd-world despot, but unfortunately, these moronic statements were made by the official representative of Argentina. Argüello claimed that the British government “hides information in London to the Europeans in Brussels and to the rest of the world” (whatever he means by that).

Also, in a recent address to an audience at the top Mexican university, UNAM, Ambassador Argüello said about the Falklands that, “England knows that if it cuts the social assistance and employment budget of the islands as it has done with other territories, it will lead to emigration to Argentina or South America, where the opposite thing is happening.” Huh?

While there is no doubt that the citizens of the islands lead a somewhat isolated existence, you would be hard-pressed to find even one resident of those cold and windy islands that would choose to live in Argentina or South America. But it makes for good propaganda. With the possibility of commercially viable deposits of crude oil, the residents of the Falkland Islands may end up being quite wealthy. It is solely for this reason that Argentina is rattling its plastic sabers all over the world, trying to get the support of other countries. But the United Nations made it quite clear how the destiny of the islands will be chosen: By a plebiscite of the residents living there! So come on Argentina, give it up. They were never your islands, and your claims are so far in the past.

Jamie Douglas

San Rafael, Mendoza

Where we have sheep, too, along with that Fine Malbec Wine!

I encourage you to write me at cruzansailor [at] gmail [dot] com with any questions or suggestions you may have. Disclaimer: I am not in any travel-related business. My advice is based on my own experiences and is free of charge (Donations welcome). It is always my pleasure to act as a beneficial counselor to those who are seekers of the next adventure.

Has Evo Morales Sold his Soul to Big Oil?

article from August 25, 2011

By Jamie Douglas

The short answer is yes!

The flamboyant indigenous coca grower who promised to stand up for the rights of Bolivia’s indigenous majorities has done a 180 degree turn by promoting a highway that is to run smack through Isiboro Sécure National Park and Indigenous Territory (TIPNIS), a quasi-independent territory and national park. This region has been autonomous since 1990. The area encompasses 1,372,180 ha, of which over 10% has already been squatted upon, primarily by coca farmers.

In addition, the Bolivian government, led by Evo Morales, has awarded several large plots for energy exploration that lie entirely within the park’s boundaries and are not actually the property of the Bolivian nation; rather they belong to the Yuki, Yuracaré, and Mojeño-Trinitario indigenous peoples. The companies Petroandina, YPF from Argentina and PDVSA from Venezuela have been carrying out preliminary explorations of the virgin jungle areas in a joint venture with the Bolivian state oil company. The exploitation of natural resources in pristine areas such as TIPNIS will certainly bring about massive ecological destruction and pollution. One needs to look no further than Ecuador to see the damages that were rained onto that country’s oil-rich Amazonian region.

It goes without saying that, in order to begin the exploitation of the forest’s natural resources, there need to be infrastructure projects, such as a new highway, which is being built as I write this, over the unanimous objection of those whose land is being divided in two. In 2010, when a meeting was called between TIPNIS chiefs and officials, they stated their “overwhelming and unrenouncable opposition” to a project that will bring nothing but trouble to the tribal reserve.

Nevertheless, in June 2011, the indigenous president, who was voted into office on the strength of his heritage, presided over the inauguration of this misguided attempt to bring more money into the national treasury, in spite of the fact that there has never been any investigation into the environmental and human sacrifices that will have to be made. Construction has begun on the first segment, and aerial photos clearly show the amount of destruction taking place. A swath about 200 meters wide is being cut through one of the richest areas of bio diversity in the world. For every five kilometers of road, one full square kilometer of land is destroyed, which, over the 306 km length of the road, means a loss of 61 sq km of habitat, also creating barriers for migrating wildlife and eventually leading to inevitable losses to road kill.

This road is being built with the help of the Brazilian National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES). They have made available to the Bolivians a US$332 million loan, and surely just by the name of the bank, one can easily guess what their goal is. Brazil’s appetite for energy and resources has spilled over into all of South America, and the presence of oil in this region that is so close to Brazil certainly has great attraction to the resource-hungry Tiger of the South.

Meanwhile, the indigenous community of the affected region has embarked on a 370-mile march from the tropical lowland town of Trinidad to La Paz, at the lofty height of 12,000 ft, to protest peacefully against the 185-mile highway that is to bisect their “protected” homeland. Meanwhile, Evo Morales has accused the United States of fomenting this trouble, demanding an audience with the US Embassy’s Chargé d’Affairs, John Creamer, claiming he has phone records that implicate the diplomatic mission in conversations with the “rebels” to foment trouble for him. I think this time Evo has just plainly sold out his people, going with the money, instead. Maybe that is the reason he rewrote the constitution to allow himself to run yet again. It seems that all these populist politicians sooner or later crumble and fall into the fold of the corruption that politics breeds.

Jamie Douglas

San Rafael, Mendoza

Where that Fine Malbec Wine is unaffected by the souring of relations in Bolivia

[Image of Bolivian President Evo Morales via Wikipedia]

I encourage you to write me at cruzansailor [at] gmail [dot] com with any questions or suggestions you may have. Disclaimer: I am not in any travel-related business. My advice is based on my own experiences and is free of charge (Donations welcome). It is always my pleasure to act as a beneficial counselor to those who are seekers of the next adventure.

The Lowest Cost of Living in the World for Expats: South America

article from August 1, 2011

by Julie R Butler

After having given brief profiles of the cities of Central American cities with the lowest cost of living for expats, another group of cities that may be attractive as well as inexpensive are those in South America. These cities are somewhat off the beaten track, being more difficult to get to from the States or Europe, and some knowledge of Spanish is a must.

Quito, Ecuador

Quito is the capital of Ecuador and an important center of Latin American heritage. Quito’s Old City is considered to be the largest in all of the Americas. It is one of the oldest Spanish colonial cities in South America as well as one of the first locations where

the cry for independence from Spain rang out. This city is also known as Luz de América, Light of America.

At about 2,800 meters (10,000 feet) above sea level, Quito’s altitude is a formidable challenge. Additionally, Quito’s location between two high mountain ranges makes for weather that is unpredictable, and changes can be extreme. The weather is one reason why Cuenca, in the south, is more popular with expats, as it is consistent throughout the year and the altitude makes it moderate and pleasant. Another factor making Cuenca more popular is that Quito is in a more culturally traditional region, whereas Cuenca is about a third of the size of the capital, which is home to about 1.5 million people.

Among country’s greatest attractions are its natural beauty and amazing biodiversity, having the coastal plain, the sierra, and the Amazon Basin as well as the Galapagos Islands, all in a relatively small area. Ecuador also has one of the lowest costs of living in South America.

Although Ecuador has been a very popular destination for expats for the past few years, one of the main concerns is political volatility. The Correa administration has made great strides in reducing poverty in Ecuador, but authoritarianism, the expelling of the US Ambassador to Ecuador, and the police coup or whatever that was that occurred in September of last year have not exactly been signs of stability. Another problem to be aware of is growing drug violence.

Asunción, Paraguay

Paraguay is a landlocked nation that sits between Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil. It is defined by the Paraguay River, one of South America’s major river systems, which divides Paraguay into two distinct geographic regions: the largely uninhabited semiarid Chaco to the west and the forested Paraná to the east.

The population center is in and around the capital, Asunción, located on the Paraguay River in the south of the country. It is another of the continent’s oldest Spanish colonial cities, having served as a base from which both colonial expeditions and Jesuit missionaries were launched, a trading port, and after Buenos Aires was sacked by indigenous warriors, the uncontested regional center of power. It is also known as the location where one of the first rebellions against the Spanish arose.

Paraguay’s history, tragically, has been one of the most war-torn in Latin America, which has stifled the country’s economic development. Although the most recent political upheaval was in 1999, Paraguay has continued to face daunting problems caused by poverty due to marginalization of the Guarani people as well as corruption and political uncertainty, and it is a major smuggling and piracy haven.

Asunción is just below the Tropic of Cancer, so the weather is mostly hot and humid, with a dry season from June to September. Typhoid vaccinations are recommended, and mosquito-borne dengue fever is a concern. This city of more than two million inhabitants has its charms, among them, lack of infrastructure such as paved roads, and farm animals wandering about at will.

La Paz, Bolivia

Bolivia is South America’s other landlocked nation, although both of these interior nations do have access to the Atlantic Ocean via the Paraguay River. There seems to be a direct correlation between the astoundingly high rate of poverty – more than 60% of the population – and the large number of indigenous peoples. This country has also had its fair share of military and political upheaval, having lost over half of the territory claimed upon independence from Spain in wars with its neighbors as well as experiencing the familiar destabilizing politics that are common throughout South America. Despite fierce political opposition and pressing economic factors, President Evo Morales, Bolivia’s first indigenous leader, has managed to spur growth and induce modest improvements in poverty levels.

Very diverse geographic regions range from the Bolivian Altiplano in the west, to Amazonian rainforests in the northeast, to the Chaco in the east. The administrative capital, Nuestra Señora de la Paz, is located in a bowl at 3,650 meters (11,975 feet) in altitude among the high mountains of the altiplano. Its climate is cool year round and fairly dry, with more rain falling during the warmer austral spring and summer months.

La Paz’s early history is marked with several sieges by the indigenous Aymara people, and yet again, the city lays claim to South America’s first call for independence from Spain. Today, 2.3 million inhabitants live in this metropolitan center in the Andes.

Probably the biggest challenge to living in this, the least expensive major city in all of South America, is dealing with the altitude, which affects not only us humans, but will also ruin computer hard drives that are not specially made for high-altitude use. And, of course, there are the common issues that come with being in such an economically split society. Spanish is a necessity, as is understanding that Bolivia under Morales is yet another Latin American country that does not have good relations with the United States and is lacking a US ambassador.

Julie R Butler is a writer, journalist, editor, and author of several books, including Nine Months in Uruguay and No Stranger To Strange Lands (click here for more info). She is a contributor to Speakout at Truthout.org, and her current blog is Connectively Speaking.

email: julierbutler [at] yahoo [dot] com, Twitter: @JulieRButler