Politics

Another day of Spanish class. It was a bit bittersweet. We gave Nancy, our teacher, a present from the Otavalo Market and a thank you card. After class, we got to meet with Gloria Rengefo, a former teacher who is now very involved in the politcal situation. She gave a very objective overview of the recent political changes that the Ecuadorian government was experiencing. It seems like the current president, Rafael Correa Delgado, faces an entrenched establishment bent on maintaining the status quo. According to Gloria, approximately 100 families hold significant wealth and political power in Ecuador, and many are aligning against Correa´s more liberal and inclusive approach to governing.

With the coming completion of the new Ecuadorian Constitution, the next set of local and national elections is taking on an extreme importance. The ability to interpret or change the new Constitution to a party´s likening is a powerful motivator to win office. If a strong majority of Correa´s party does not win office, he will face even more significant opposition to his policies.

Correa has vowed not to renew the military contract with the United States government in 2009. Since this statement, the World Bank has pulled funds for about 100 of the 200 programs in Ecuador that benefit children and their education. Correa is taking an Ecuador First approach to natural resources use and control of land, this is not boding well with the World Bank, nor United States business interests.