La década de 1960 inició una era en América Latina manchada por la sangre de ciudadanos inocentes y perseguidos por regímenes militares. Durante este período, una serie de gobiernos de derecha aplastaron a la oposición mediante la represión pública y violaciones de derechos humanos. Las fue[...]
Archive for the Category: "Ecuador"
An Armed Forces Anomaly: Key Ingredients to Ecuador’s Democratic Consistency
The 1960s launched an era in Latin America tainted by the blood of innocent citizens and haunted by dictatorial military rule. During this period, a series of right-wing governments throughout Latin America crushed the opposition through public repression, human rights abuses and, in several insta[...]
The Struggle Between Indigenous Folkways and National Law: Resolving the Past and the Present
Over the last twenty years, almost all applicable Latin American countries have been moving toward full recognition of their multiethnic citizenship. Peru codified indigenous rights in 1993, Ecuador legalized them in 1998, and Bolivia passed a new constitution including embedded indigenous rights [...]
Are Hugo Chávez and Evo Morales Enemies of the United States?
Adversaries, yes. Enemies, no (at least not yet). However, they are enemies of global capitalism which, in the eyes of some Americans, makes Chávez and Morales enemies of the American people. But this is one of many misleading impressions which inadequate Latin America coverage by U.S. media help[...]
The State Department’s Human Rights Assessment—Only a U.S. Perspective
In what could be seen as an effort to respond to the March 11, 2009 edition of the U.S. Department of State’s Country Reports on Human Rights, Ecuador has promised to publish its own human rights counter-report. This initiative is meant to assess Washington’s own respect for human rights from an[...]
The Cofán: Hope in the Midst of Tragedy
Straddling the Ecuadorian-Colombian border reside the semi-indigenous communities of the Cofán. Calling themselves the a’i, this horticultural group is dependent on the waters of the Guamués and Aguaricó rivers as well as the surrounding forests for their way of life (Townsend 2743). Today, th[...]
Ecuador’s Yasuní Initiative at a Standstill, with President Correa Fast Losing his Appeal as a Magnanimous Visionary with a Capacity to be More than Mean-Spirited
“Every one thinks chiefly of his own, hardly at all of the common interest; and only when he is himself concerned as an individual.” (Aristotle) For decades, environmental activists have argued that environmental stewardship – especially in developing countries – is an international responsi[...]
Ecuador: Trials with Democracy
Ecuador is a country that, according to conservative human rights body, Freedom House, stands “at the threshold” of democracy, but not for the first time. The small Andean country has a long history of inconsistent democratic governments, interrupted by sporadic military juntas and authoritarian[...]
Bus Rapid Transit and the Latin American City: Successes to Date, But Miles to Go
Over the past fifteen years, cities throughout Latin America have achieved a modest, yet significant, revolution in urban design through the adoption and refinement of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems. Promising the benefits of developed world transit systems at developing world prices, BRT has quic[...]
A note from COHA regarding yesterday’s release (“Ecuador’s Flirtations with Democracy: Correa Does it Somewhat Differently,” 12/9/09)
After a careful analysis of FLACSO’s Guillaume Long’s admirable, if highly critical letter on Ecuador, which devastatingly took to task yesterday’s (December 9th, 2009) COHA research release on Ecuador, we decided that the quality of Long’s analysis justified it being sent to our entire mail[...]
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