Ecuador: Opposition and Dissent

Global Voices Online, September 8

by Milton Ramirez

With the political activity heating up as Ecuadorians come closer to September 28th referendum to approve the new Constitution, many may think that this country only revolves around politics. Ecuadorian bloggers [es] are aware of this social phenomenon in their country. Even though the polls may indicate that the Constitution is likely to pass, there are still many that retain a differing opinion.

Many see the new constitution as progress, not only in its effort to redefine the relationship between human beings and the natural world but changes regarding abortion, electronic government, the open source software, just to mention a few.

However, the opposition refutes the new constitution completely without considering any of the good aspects of it. Carlos Jumbo, [es] who usually doesn’t write about politics but rather about internet security, thinks that arguments come from both sides, the opposition and the people who support president Correa, and that there are 'small leaders' who do not represent anybody and they believe their truth is absolute:

Los seudos abanderados como Lucio Gutierrez, Jaime Nebot, Carlos Vera, entre otros, no entienden que lo único que logran es fortalecer y darle la razón a la tesis de Rafael Correa, lo más lógico desde su posición seria la de promover (adelantarse) sus “figuras” como potenciales candidatos presidenciables y derrotar a Correa en las urnas, si tanto odio y si tanto daño les ha causado Correa. como lo afirman, ¿no creen que el pueblo lo castigaría en una nueva elección presidencial?, o es que como dice el mismo Correa “les tiembla las piernas”.

The pseudo-bearers like Lucio Gutierrez, Jaime Nebot, Carlos Vera, among others, do not understand that the only thing achieved is the strengthening and rationalizing of Rafael Correa's arguments, the most logical from their position would be to promote (anticipating) their “status” as potential presidential candidates and defeat Correa in the polls, if so much hate and harm has been caused by Correa as they say, don't you think that the people would punish him in a new presidential election? or is it as Correa says, they are 'shaking in their boots?'

You might want to remember the saying, “do not always believe everything you see.” Juanpi of Babahoyo [es], reposts a post written by Febres “Bird” Cordero, who says the discussion on the new Constitution is closed. The president is the only authoritative one who can decide what is right and what is wrong, and that he is infallible:

La culpa, para él, es siempre de los otros. De todos aquellos que disienten. Por eso, si son economistas, pasan sin más trámite al rol de contadores. Si son ricos, al de pelucones. Si periodistas, al de bestias (salvajes o no, pero bestias, al fin), mediocres, mentirosos, pitufos. Si jóvenes, al de majaderos. Si compañeros de su movimiento, al de infiltrados. Si emigrantes, al de idiotas. La lista, que puede resultar interminable, no deja fuera a nadie que haya osado discrepar. Y a nadie, tampoco, que haya sido sorprendido haciendo un gesto considerado contrario a esa majestad que él encarna: para ellos, la cárcel.

For him, it is always someone else's fault. It is the fault of all those who disagree. So if you are economists, move on without any further delay to the role of accountants. If you are rich, to the role of pelucones (opposition). If you are journalists, to the role of beasts (wild or not, but beasts, in the end), mediocre, liars, smurfs. If young, to the role of idiots. If you are part of the movement, to the infiltrators. If migrants, to that of idiots. The list, which may be endless, does not leave out anyone who has dared to disagree. And nobody who has been caught making a gesture considered contrary to his majesty: for them, jail.

And finally, Raul Farias from Un granito de arena [es] (A little grain of sand) making an analogy between the Ralph Fiennes’ movie, Land of the Blind movie and the Ecuadorian political reality, where he says that society is the blind.

Casi nunca he estado de acuerdo con los escritos de Gabriela Calderón para el diario EL UNIVERSO, pero no tengo más que darle la razón y compartir el pensamiento, en su articulo “Utopía y violencia”, de que para librarnos de la corrupción, la pobreza y todos los males anteriores, no necesitamos ceder nuestros derechos o libertades, ni dar paso a la violencia. Es que con los actos del gobierno de Rafael Correa y la Asamblea Constituyente, muchos no volveremos a creer en la palabra revolución.

I almost have never agreed with the writings of Gabriela Calderon from the newspaper The Universe, but I have to give her credit and share her ideas, in her article “Utopia and violence,” where she says that in order to get rid of corruption, poverty and all previous evils, we need not to cede our rights or freedoms, nor give way to violence. It is because of the acts of the Rafael Correa government and the Constituent Assembly, many will not return to believe in the word revolution.