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47 East 10 Street Brooklyn, NY 11218 | 917 239-7529
CONCERNED ECUADORIAN-AMERICAN CITIZENS
695 Knickerbocker Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11221 | 11221
Senator Patrick Leahy 437 Russell Senate Bldg United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Via Fax: 202-224-3479 Via Email: senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov May 14, 2012 Dear Senator Leahy, As Ecuadorian Americans we are addressing you in response to your recent delivery on the floor of the U.S. Senate concerning Ecuador. Those of us who are informed about the changes that are taking place under the administration of president Rafael Correa realize that it is becoming increasingly difficult for his opponents to deny the improvements in health, education, justice, security, infrastructure, public services, and the economy. These improvements were, in part, achieved by removing the influence that a monopoly of a select few business elites, media groups, and corrupt political overlords had over the government’s decisions and direction. Now these groups are attempting to destabilize the Ecuadorian government by engaging in an international campaign of misinformation, and recruiting well intentioned Democratic senators and U.S. Government officials to voice their fallacious tales. We agree that a free and independent press is fundamental to democracy. Indeed, a fair democracy should protect the rule of law and ensure that no person or group is above the law. In Ecuador, however, certain groups believed that their economic status and media power granted them privileges above the law. The libel case of president Correa against the editorial page editor of El Universo and its owners was one in over 12,000 libel cases in Ecuador (including several against the president himself). The inability of El Universo to support the grave accusations against president Correa of crimes against humanity led to a fair and just sentence. The decision was ratified in three instances, despite the relentless media lynching and documented public intimidations that El Universo staged against the judges and witnesses. In Ecuador, freedom of expression is guaranteed under the constitution, as you point out, and it is further encouraged by president Correa every week. Senator Leahy, you may have heard from certain major U.S. media outlets nonsense like Obama’s war on religion, the Muslim, Kenyan-born illegitimate president, health care death panels, socialist-Nazi-abortionist-un-American government, welfare-loving democrats, etc. We are sure you would agree that this does not constitute news, but rather politically motivated propaganda disguised as news in order to misinform and confuse the audience. However, unlike the situation in Ecuador, these media outlets do not affirm [yet] that president Obama committed a crime, or make other similar false accusations. In Ecuador, the six families that control the entire local private media do engage in that sort of propaganda, in addition to making direct and false accusations. They present facts selectively and out of context in order to manipulate the public opinion. That is not freedom of expression. It is a violation of public trust and the right of the people to receive true, fair and contextualized information. Currently, and for the past several years, not a single journalist, reporter or writer has been imprisoned in Ecuador. Not a single media outlet has been closed. Not a single piece has been censored by the government. Contrary to your assertion, Ecuadorians are not proud of the country’s former democratic system and governments. Merely voting and rotating parties does not make a democracy. Ecuador had a perverse system that produced social exclusion to the majority, benefits to a small economic
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47 East 10 Street Brooklyn, NY 11218 | 917 239-7529
CONCERNED ECUADORIAN-AMERICAN CITIZENS
695 Knickerbocker Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11221 | 11221
elite, and encouraged corruption and impunity. With the new constitution, ratified by the people in 2008, that system is becoming a thing of the past. The new progressive constitution includes a revolutionary framework that protects the environment. The responsible use and exploitation of natural resources was the objective of such framework. No informed report can assert that the new mining projects in Ecuador are destructive. Every country in the world, including the United States, will face protests when mining projects are announced. However, the law should be enforced when such protests include destruction of public and private property, blocking roads, attacking unarmed policemen, wounding police horses, and even killing innocent people. Contrary to your assertion, only a handful of people were charged by the state for those crimes, others were charged by private companies, but not in the numbers that were reported to you. Perhaps your source did not convey to you accurately the specifics of the proposed electoral reform, but such reforms are intended to bring fairness to the electoral process. Similar to the Equal-time rule and the Fairness Doctrine here in the United States, the Ecuadorian Assembly attempts to regulate airtime so that all candidates have equal time and treatment on TV and radio. Dr. Catalina Botero, the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, part of the American Commission on Human Rights, of which the United States of America is not a signer, may have misled you. The surprisingly swift, and even preemptive, intervention of Dr. Botero in the case between president Correa and El Universo has raised serious concerns about the objectivity and real interests of the current Office of the Special Rapporteur. Fortunately, early this year the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States approved the recommendations presented by a group of nations, Ecuador among them. The nation of Ecuador is going about its business of solidifying its own democratic institutions and reforming its own laws through its democratically elected legislators, based on its own realities. President Correa’s administration is taking ambitious steps toward modernizing the state in all areas, and democratizing the nation’s resources (spreading the wealth) for the benefit of all, and 82% of Ecuadorians support him in this effort. Senator Leahy, as EcuadorianAmericans we feel that your unfounded attack against Ecuador is disheartening and harmful to Ecuadorians in the U.S. It stigmatizes our community, it implies that our support to the positive changes in our country of origin conflicts with the interests of our new home nation, and even with the liberal and progressive values that we share with Democrats like you. Respectfully, you may not claim to stand with the people of Ecuador by gratuitously attacking its legitimate president and democratic institutions. After decades of corruption, injustice, exclusion, social and political instability, the majority of Ecuadorians, in Ecuador and around the world, welcome the leadership and courage of President Rafael Correa. Senator Leahy, we welcome you to learn more about Ecuador and its democratic process by visiting the country or meeting with members of the community and allow us to present you with the other side of the story. Respectfully, Jean-Paul Borja 47 E. 10th Street, NY 11218, (917) 239-7529
Victor William Villamar 695 Knickerbocker Ave., NY 11221
PS. The original letter with additional pages with supporting original signatures will follow by mail.
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47 East 10 Street Brooklyn, NY 11218 | 917 239-7529
CONCERNED ECUADORIAN-AMERICAN CITIZENS
695 Knickerbocker Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11221 | 11221
My signature below is in support of the message set forth in the preceding letter to the U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy with respect to his recent statements about our country of origin, Ecuador: Name
Signature
City and State of Residence
Luis A. Puyol
NYC, New York
Victor Barahona
NYC, New York
Victor A. Barahona
NYC, New York
Ingrid Bastidas
NYC, New York
Edgar Carchi
NYC, New York
Mayra Rivera
NYC, New York
Rosa C. Villamar
NYC, New York
Blanca Mendoza
NYC, New York
José Chávez
NYC, New York
Wilson J. Intriago
NYC, New York
Eudulia N. Intriago
NYC, New York
Mayra Intriago
NYC, New York
Jenny Nader
Miami, Florida
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47 East 10 Street Brooklyn, NY 11218 | 917 239-7529
CONCERNED ECUADORIAN-AMERICAN CITIZENS
695 Knickerbocker Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11221 | 11221
My signature below is in support of the message set forth in the preceding letter to the U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy with respect to his recent statements about our country of origin, Ecuador: Name
Signature
Address
Jenny Preis
Miami, FL
Michele Intriago
Los Angeles, California
Blanca Palomeque
Sunnyside, NY
Carlos Salazar
East Elmhurst, NY
Rafael Salinas
Ridgewood, NY
Byron Paladines
Woodside, NY
Daysi Paladines
Woodside, NY
Hugo Rodriguez
Astoria, NY
Julio Guillén
Astoria, NY
Manuel Encalada
Corona, NY
Rocío Rojas
Astoria, NY
César Palomeque
Sunnyside, NY
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47 East 10 Street Brooklyn, NY 11218 | 917 239-7529
CONCERNED ECUADORIAN-AMERICAN CITIZENS
695 Knickerbocker Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11221 | 11221
My signature below is in support of the message set forth in the preceding letter to the U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy with respect to his recent statements about our country of origin, Ecuador: Name
Signature
Address
Carlos Hugo González
Sunnyside, NY
Henry Yánez
Woodside, NY
Fernando Rojas
West Palm Beach, FL
Brenda E. Rivera
Queens, NY
Cinthya Carolina Rivera
Queens, NY
Verónica Quito
Teaneck, NJ
Klever R. Paladines
Sunnyside, NY
Luis A. Sánchez
Astoria, NY
Glenda C. Carreara
Astoria, NY
Dino Raúl Domínguez
Jamaica Estates, NY
América Domínguez
Jamaica Estates, NY
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