Ecuador, presente!

                  CONNECTIONS FROM THE PAST
            From the book “Born In Blood & Fire” the one chapter that catches my full attention and brings it back home is Chapter 9: Reaction.  The chapter describes the inhumane treatment of the Chile military towards their own people in the 1970’s when Salvador Allende was in the presidency.  Salvador Allende was an advocate for his country to become disengaged from United States forces, by nationalizing Chilean copper, coal, steel, banks and land reform (Chasteen, pg. 299). The dreams of socialism and a just Chile was a red flag for two of Allende’s opposers, who later  became allies with the United States CIA to unite forces for Allende’s overthrow as stated in the book “that Allende be overthrown by a coup” (Chasteen, pg. 299). 
              The date September 11 is not just a date of condolences for the United States, but for Chile as well.  On September 11, 1973 Salvador Allende was assassinated by the Chilean army with the help of U.S. CIA. This crime was committed due to the successful “Unidad Popular (UP)” which was an organization that motivated people to directly take over the factories that were taking too long to catch up with the shift of a new Chile.  During the mid-term elections of 1971, la Unidad Popular very successful by far, which gave its people victory, but not for too long.
            These instances in our history demonstrate the power of a nationalized Sur America in the 1970’s. But the people of Chile and Allende were not the only victims from the North’s oppression, president Jaime Roldos Aguilera had to suffer the same injustices when he took presidency of Ecuador in 1979.
               Jaime Roldos Aguilera started making great changes for the people of Ecuador by developing the “Plan de Desarollo” translated to “Development Plan”, in this plan, Roldos’ priority was to house the poor people of Ecuador, and increased education in all grade levels.  Roldos knew he needed to take a stance for his country and make changes that were very necessary.  With all the changes Roldos started to make it was very clear that he was not going to be a puppet for any “powerful” nation. Sadly, Roldos and his wife were killed in a plane crash on the border of Peru and Ecuador, others like John Perkins, a valid source would say it was not an accident, but a plan to kill him from the U.S. CIA explain with further details in his book “Confessions Of A Economic Hit man”. May 24, 1981 Ecuador mourned the death of a great leader for the people.
                Many would like to this these acts of violence and violators of human rights stop in history books of the 1970’s, well it is something I once believed.  Unfortunately, in September 20^th 2010 while hanging around my apartment my mother calls and frantically tells me to turn on the tv to Telemundo, the huge red letters “emergency news” grabbed my attention while the news reported stated that Ecuador was under an attempted coup. At the time I did not fully understand what that meant, I asked my mother what it was and she rapidly explained to me.  I could not believe the president of my mother land was in the middle of an attempted coup.  Some critics do say that it was no such thing, but the videos of the police shooting at what they believed was his car, show something different. Some say this attack was brought because of the nationalization of the military base of Manta where there was U.S. military facility and others say it might have been because they miss-interpreted his new laws.
                In October 2010 it was broadcasted in Democracy Now! (min 6:23) that the commander of the barracks where President Correa was attacked, was a graduate from the School of the Americas by the name of Manuel Rivadeneira Tello… how “ironic”.  Great news were shared by Presidente Correa to his people during his weekly sabatina in June 27, 2012 that he was going to sign into law the removal of all Ecuatorianos that were being trained in the famous School of the Americas.  He repeats himself multiple time with the great words of “es prohibido olvidar” meaning “it is forbidden to forget”, and what he means by that is that we cannot forget the history of our people and the battles they faced, because we are still battling the oppression placed on our people.