Ecuador president announces program to redevelop border towns

Peoples' Daily Online, August 8, 2007
Ecuador's President Rafael Correa said Tuesday that his country would turn towns on the border with Colombia into tourist attractions in a government initiative to improve living standards.

"Plan Ecuador" aims to develop San Lorenzo, a town 350km northeast of Quito, along its seafront.

Correa said, "Within a year, San Lorenzo will be a completely new town: the envy of all the cities and towns in Ecuador."

He said that in contrast to neighboring Colombia's "Plan Colombia" -- a military-led effort to root out rebels - Plan Ecuador will transform San Lorenzo into a tourist attraction.

"It is not a bit to repress, but instead to solve the structures that lead to violence: poverty, unemployment, lack of education and lack of health services," he said.

"The government cannot only send police and soldiers to watch the border. It has to deal with the structural problems," said Correa.

Speaking to hundreds of locals, Correa said that Plan Ecuador will aim for what he called "human security" not tanks and bombing, and will seek security for residents to live in dignity with health, education and employment.

"When people see that they have health and education, crime and gangsterism reduce. That is the idea of Plan Ecuador," he said.