Are We Heading For Banana Republicanization?
Just back from Ecuador, which just happens to have been the world's largest exporter of bananas since the late 1940s, although oil has been ahead of that popular fruit since the late 60s in export earnings (mangoes, shrimp, flowers, and Panama hats [originally from Ecuador] are other biggies). Since full independence in 1830, the country has had 22 constitutions, the most recent apopted in 2006, and numerous military coups. Between 1997 and 2006, the place had seven presidents and a major financial crash that led to dollarization of the economy (although the coins continue to have Ecuadorian figures on them, except for the popular use of the Sacajewea US dollar coin). In 2006, charismatic economist, Rafael Correa, was elected president and has been reelected since. He has recently been having referenda on allowing him greater control over the media and judiciary and had Hugo Chavez in the week prior to my being there. He claims to chart a course between Chavez and Brazil's ...