What do you think of Ecuador's President's comments about the US?
“Imperialism of the XXI century is no longer boots, no longer planes, no longer aircraft carriers, ships, or cannons. It’s called ‘dollars’, that’s how they seek to dominate us, and we’ve had enough of these pressures.”
This is from a meeting between 7 Latin American countries which also included these quotes:
Venezuela’s finance minister, Ali Rodríguez, stated to the press, “When there’s a crisis that has among its factors the weakness of the dollar—profoundly affected by extremely high levels of speculation—that means that other regions must seek their own solutions, and that’s what is happening.”
“We’re not going to wait here with our arms crossed for the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund to come and solve the problems that this great threat unleashed on the world,” Chavez said at the Alba summit in Caracas. Although Chavez stopped short of calling for withdrawal from the IMF, both the IMF and the Inter-American Development Bank came under fire for placing political conditions on loans that limit countries’ political options in dealing with the impact of the crisis.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2008/12/16-7
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11 Answers
This makes me what to move to Ecuador. Oh that Obama would have the courage to make systemic change!
I am deeply embarrased as this guy is supposed to be my president (yes, I am Ecuadorian)
Why are you embarrassed?? I could not agree more with what he says. I have been trying to get this point across for a long time.
Ecuador recently completed an audit of its foreign debt that shows that a large part of the debt was contracted illegally and under unfair terms. At the Alba meeting he got the support of the other six nations to face down the global financial system regarding payment of the illegitimate debt.
This guy is becoming my hero. I have a feeling he might not last too long there though. (unintentionally)
Political rabble-rousing by many of the SA leaders serves to keep their people’s mind off of the fact that years of incredibly corrupt politicians have raped their countries.
Political rabble-rousing by many of the USA leaders serves to keep their people’s mind off of the fact that years of incredibly corrupt politicians have raped their countries.
He is sort of right… except that imperialism uses dollars first and if that fails they then resort to boots, planes, aircraft carriers, ships, and cannons. Or political espionage by the CIA.
How convenient, they won’t be controlled by American dollars just as we are running low of them. Well the world turns, lets hear what they say when our economy regains strength.
@btko hit the nail on the head above, except replace “sort of” with “absolutely”. The IMF has been a disaster for developing countries, particularily in South America.
@ All
I must apologize for my president’s lack of clarity and vision (seriously)
As you sure know, Ecuador is living under a left (very left) government that is ruining us globally because of comments like this, since he started has attached his power to populist actions (giving money that we don’t have away) that has kept him with a huge popularity (around 67% of acceptance). He changed the Constitution so he can handle the country at his will and all the Control Organisms that are supposed to be independent are under the regimen’s control.
How a person can do that? Simple, when you live in a country where 70% of the EAP makes less than $400.00 dollars a month and only %15 of the people that finishes high school has the chance to go to College and can actually finish the courses.
We declared default on our Global Bonds saying the debt is Illegal… Is not like that, let’s say, the relationship between the president and the government is more like a marriage that ends up in divorce every 4 or 8 years, let’s say that the government finds a new husband and, in your previous marriage you made a loan to build a new annex in your house. It’s illogical to go to the bank and say, hey, my wife made a loan in her previous marriage and it is illegal because I don’t like the annex she built so I’m not going to pay. (let’s face it, it sounds and is stupid).
This decision has closed our possibilities of new financing now that we are in the verge of a huge crisis with the oil barrel down to $19.00, our foreign trade down by $600 millions etc… besides, all our savings have been spent in new and ineffective bureaucracy and misspend in social programs that do not solve the poverty and underdevelopment problem we have in the long term, remember, if you give a man a fish, he will eat one day, if you teach him how to fish by himself, he will feed himself and his family all his life.
I wish I could explain in a more detailed way how things work here, we don’t move our country using global indicators, not even common sense but all has been moved here in the last 10 years only by political ideology, leftist groups that try to destabilize the region with allies like Venezuela (ruined), Bolivia (ruined and divided), Cuba (ruined, big time), Iran, Libia…
And America has not been ruined by Conservatives?
@flameboi Actually of sounds like maybe you have a leader that cares about the country for the first time. In your example about a husband and wife that get a loan, is it not accurate to say that the bank knew that the couple would do anything to get that loan and so put unrealistic obligations on that loan: like they’re first born child? So maybe getting out of those loans (which should never have been entered in the first place) is causing some short term pain, but ultimately will be better.
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