The Downward Spiral

In case you haven't been paying attention, some scary threats to freedom have been taking place down here in Ecuador.

One big news item as of late is the shutting down by the national police of two Quito based television stations, and a radio station in Guayaquil. The governments position is that the heads of the television stations were embezzling money, and the radio station was operating outside their assigned frequency.

However, the shut down of these public media outlets conviently coinsides with the upcoming ratification of the new Ecuadorian constitution. The televsion stations are back on the air, albit with new managment which I suspect are more friendly to the Correa administration.

In other news, there is outcry over the goverments over existing rules requireing bakers to make available 10-cent bread, a measure designed to make food staples affordable to the poor. However, this price control measure, while it might sound like a nice idea to the idealist, it fails to take into account the global food problem that has caused a price surge in things like rice and flour. The end result is that it now costs more than 10-cents to make 10-cent bread.

As a result, many breadstores now refuse to sell 10-cent bread. The governments solution of course is to shut the bakerys down. I've only one question... how can a bakery sell bread when their doors have been shut by the government? Thats real fine police work there, Lou...

The other option of course is to make the bread smaller, which is the new tactic that some of the bakers have cooked up.

You'd have thought the world would have learned by now that price controls don't work. How ironic that the man driving this shipwreck is an Economist.

"...Ya la patria es de todos." (but not you)

How to Open a Bottle of Wine Without a Corkscrew

I have been back in Ecuador now only a little over a month, and just now identified yet another simple luxury I am sadly without.

I happen to be a big fan of Chilean and- to a lesser extent, Argentinian- wine. So, while at the supermarket earlier today to pickup some necessities for a baby shower this upcoming weekend, I decided on a bottle of last years Trapiche Malbec. I have always enjoyed the Trapiche label, and with even their premium bottles for under $10, you can't go wrong.

Trouble is, I've yet to stock my new apartment with a corkscrew. Where is McGyver when you need him? Well, i suppose he'd probably check the Internet first, which is what I also did, as it turns out. Alas, none of the ideas seemed acceptable (I had no desire to break off the neck, and I had no "bicycle hook" with which to use as a makeshift corkscrew).

Fortunately, I was able to get the bottle open using nothing more than a simple paring knife. My approach (after much contemplation) was to "score" the cork along it's diameter, repeatedly, and in both directions, in order to cut into the cork deeply enough so that I could then firmly bury the knife. This allowed me to raise the cork about a centimeter. I then cut the cork flush top of the bottle, without cutting it off completely so that I could use the nearly severed portion as a leverage as I repeated the process to prevent the remaining cork from being push farther into the bottle. After the third time, I had successfully removed the cork.

I feel so proud; even more so that I managed it without a college degree.

Los Tres Chiflados

My trusty source for Spanish language PowerPoint spam sent the above picture the other day, A photoshopped version of the three stooges, starring Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, Venezuelan Dictator Hugo Chavez, and Bolivian President Evo Morales.

The picture paints more than just a comical view of the worrisome situation in South America. Correa is little more than a puppet of the Hugo Chavez, whom in turn is little more than a carbon copy of one Fidel Castro, a Communist and repressive figurehead of the Cuban government since 1959. Similarly, Evo Morales rose to power on the heals of a consortium of growers of coca leaves, the very plant from which cocaine is made.

All three share the common view that securing their own power is far more important than caring for their own people. Both Venezuela and Bolivia are suffering from widespread food shortages and Ecuador is in the mists of some of the worst flooding in memory, displacing thousands.

10 Observations of the ongoing crisis between Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador

1. Both Venezuelan and Ecuadorian governments are saying ‘Colombia is in a war posture against neighboring countries’. … Only Venezuela and Ecuador have mobilized troops to the border greatly escalating the crisis. Why Venezuela needs to get involved in this is yet to be explained.

2. Ecuador expelled Colombian diplomats from their country but not the FARC who maintained permanent camps there?

3. President Correa of Ecuador claims the Ecuadorian Army ‘captured’ some 47 FARC camps since he become president… I lived in Ecuador for more than half of Correa’s presidency and I don’t recall hearing of a single captured camp or movement against the FARC. LIE

4. It’s been learned that Chavez recently gave $300 million dollars to the FARC, but he just also recently claimed to be prepared to propose the start of peace talks between the FARC and the Colombian government.

5. Colombia’s been at war with the FARC for 43 years and they’re to be faulted for crossing 1 mile into Ecuador to kill one of the enemy’s most important leaders? Get Real.

6. Chavez recently observed a moment of silence for terrorist leader Raul Reyes.

7. The current regimes in Ecuador and Venezuela have been committing acts of war against Colombia by their material and political support of an undisputed terrorist organization since they both took office.

8. Ecuador claims the attack squashed a deal for securing the release of French-Colombian Ingrid Betancourt, but documents describing the Interior Security Secretary’s conversations with the downed FARC leader, Raul Reyes show that Ecuador only recently became interested in getting involved in hostage negociations.

9. President Uribe has just given Chavez pinpoint locations of FARC camps in Venezuela where FARC leaders are suspected to be, but no actions are being taken.

10. President Correa long ago said the U.S. ‘s counter drug Forward Operating Location would drag Ecuador into Colombia’s war, but the facts are that the FARC have been operating in Ecuador for perhaps two decades and Correa’s government was actually actively trying to build and strengthen ties with the terrorist FARC clandestinely.

Applying For My Long-term Colombian Business Visa

As an American, there are few countries that require me to apply for a tourist visa to enter. Usually it’s just as easy as getting on a plane, going through immigration, and receiving your automatic visa for 2 or 3 months. It’s quite a luxury compared to the requirements for citizens of other countries. In Colombia, it’s just that easy. Americans are granted 60 days automatically, renewable twice for a total of 6 months. Business visas have the same terms unless you require a longer stay.

I’m currently in the process of applying for a business visa for 2 years. Which is definitely a bit more time than most governments would feel comfortable granting individuals automatically without additional requirements. In many Latin American countries processes for obtaining official documents from government offices are known to take a long time and can be rather frustrating endeavors, but surprisingly the process is quite fast and easy for a foreigner looking to do business. I expect my visa 3 days from the day I submit the application and required documents.

You’re probably curious as to what those documents are… in my case, I am only required to submit the following:

1. A signed and stamped letter on company letterhead from the company with which I’m doing business saying that they’ll be responsible for my departure expenses should anything come up that would cause me to be deported. My passport number is mentioned on the letter.

2. A copy of their registration with the chamber of commerce. They can obtain original copies for little or no fee.

3. A notarized letter authorizing the individual (Cesar) who is assisting me with the process to submit the documents on my behalf. My passport number is mentioned on this letter also, as well as Cesar’s cedula number.

4. The very easy, bilingual visa application which can be obtained at the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores or probably elsewhere online. I went to the ministry myself, and got copies, but later received a slightly different copy from Cesar.

5. A couple of 3cm x 3cm passport type pictures for my Cedula Extranjera (ID for foreigners). You can get these done about anywhere on busy streets that have lots of vendors. Just listen for them yelling… Fotos, RH (in Spanish).

6. The cost of the visa. I paid Cesar 725,000 Colombian Pesos for my visa, the cedula, and the assistance he gave me.

7. A copy of my passport.

That’s it. I just sent this with Cesar and in 3 days I should have my visa. I really don’t expect to be turned down as I have no criminal record and there’s no way for them to check in 3 days if I do anyway. Plus I’ll be doing business in this country which is always good as long as its legal. Cesar says he’ll be calling me soon to pick up my visa and get my cedula. With a cedula I can do a lot. I can open a bank account, enter contracts, get local insurance, and many other things.

Hopefully this helps you if you find yourself looking to do the same thing but don’t know where to start. If not, leave a comment and I’ll try to respond to it. Good luck!

Obtaining an Ecuadorian Visa

Recently, I began my preparation for my return to Ecuador, my home for the previous five years. In those years prior, I had been fortunate enough to have access to a visa covered under a diplomatic agreement between the United States and Ecuador (though, not a diplomatic visa). However, that expired, and I had to pursue other options.

While a variety of classifications exist, most visas are either Immigrant visas, or non-immigrant visas. Immigrant visas are designed for individuals who intend to reside in the country for long periods of time, (on the order of years) whereas Non-Immigrant visas are temporary in nature, typically one year or less.

The visa process is governed by the Ministero de Relaciones Exteriores (Ministry of Foreign Relations, the Ecuadorian equivalent to the US State Department) They are often referred to by their classification. Immigrant visas for example, are known as Class 10 visas, whereas Non-Immigrant visas fall under Class 12.

For the time being, i have decided to apply for a Non-Immigrant visa. Non-Immigrant visas can in turn be broken down further into various types, each having their own requirements, restrictions, and limitations. For example, a student visa is good for up to one year, and can be renewed continually, however, the applicant must already have been approved to study at an accredited school or university prior to applying. A Class 12-IX visa (often referred to as a tourism or commercial activities visa) has much less stringent requirements, however is limited to a maximum of 6 months.

Before applying, it’s important to know that Ecuador does not require a visa for legal entry in all cases. Citizens of over 60 different countries can enter Ecuador with a passport registered in their home country, valid for at least 6 months past the date of entry. a complete list can be found at the website for Ministry of Foreign Relations website (http://www.mmrree.gov.ec/).

For these individuals, a stamp is placed in the persons passport with the mark 'T-3' and indicating the number of days permitted. The number of days granted is often left to the discretion of the immigration officer, and can range anywhere from two weeks, to three months (the maximum permitted on a single stamp). Individuals requiring additional time can seek an extension at most any Ministry of Foreign Relations office. For the nearest office in Ecuador, you can call +593 (2) 299-3284. In any case, the absolute maximum for any kind of tourism is 180 days in any 365 day period. Fines for overstaying a visa can range anywhere from $200 on up (generally depending on the length of time overstayed), and violators can risk incarceration.

Despite being from one such country, I had already used my "non-visa" visa, and thus entering on a passport alone wasn't an option. Therefore, I decided to seek the Class 12-IX visa mentioned above.

Requirements for this type of visa are rather minimal. To begin, the applicant will complete two forms, an Aplicación de Visa (Visa Application, MS Word DOC) and an Certificado de Visación (Visa Certification, MS Word DOC). In addition, the applicant will verify that his or her passport is valid for at last 6 months following the date of entry.

In addition, Ecuadorian law requires a "Doctors Certificate and HIV test, indicating the person does not have any communicable diseases." Some people might find this requirement somewhat ambiguous (as I did). In my case, I went to the local clinic and order a HIV test and requested what is known as a travel physical. The process took only about 20 minutes and consisted of a brief interview with the doctor. During this time, I illustrated to the doctor the visa health requirement and requested a statement (in writing) from the doctor that indicated that, in his professional opinion, I was in a healthy condition with no apparent or observed symptoms that could cause an urgent medical condition. Within two days, I was able to retrieve the letter and HIV certificate from the clinic. Total cost was approximately $120.

The Ecuadorian Mission to the United States also requires that applications supply, and I quote, "Police certificate indicating that there is no record". This requirement will be particularly confusing for many US residents, as we do not have combined national police force, but rather numerous levels of police protection, including the City, County, State, and Federal. I believed that the fulfilling the 'sprit' of the requirement would be sufficient, and obtained a citation report from the local police department. The desk sergeant was kind enough to point out how to interpret the report (consisting of mainly internal codes and gibberish). I then highlighted the relevant section that illustrated that i was in fact *not* a wanted criminal. The cost of the report was $5. As it turned out, this was sufficient. It is worth mentioning that my state (Minnesota) does offer a more extensive background criminal check, however this is designed more for pre-employment screening and costs quite a bit more.

Lastly, they require you submit proof of financial solvency. From the Ecuadorian Government's point of view, they don't want to risk you getting in a position where you don't have enough money to pay for basic needs, like shelter and food. There is specific requirements, however keep in mind that the average monthly income for a typical Ecuadorian is between $500 and $600.

Don't forget to provide two passport photos as well. these are photographs that have very particular size requirements, and can be best obtained from nearly any United States Post Office, in addition to many photography studios and film processing centers. The cost from the Post Office is $15, and includes two photographs.

Finally, they'll want a copy of your tickets. Paper tickets are a rarity now-a-days, so I submitted a copy of my e-mail confirmation, which did the trick.

The last step is to provide all the above documents to one of eight Ecuadorian Consulates in the United States. A detailed list is available on the US Mission website. For other countries, consult the complete list of overseas missions at the website of the Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Relations.

There are two fees charged, totaling US$230.00, and the consulates only accept cash, and cashier’s checks.

If you intend to submit the application by mail, be sure also include a postage paid return envelope. Your best bet is to go to the post office ask them to help in calculating proper return postage. Since you'll be sending your passport, you'll want to insure that both envelopes are sent "Registered Mail". This will allow you to track the package as it goes to the Consulate, and makes it's way back to you. Don't forget to record the tracking number for the return segment; you'll not be able to take the receipt as it has to stay with the return envelope until it is actually mailed by the consulate.

Lastly, it's good advice to contact the consulate BEFORE you mail your application to ensure that they in fact accept applications by mail; the decision to accept or not accept is at the discretion of the consulate and not all do; (The Consular General in Washington DC *does* accept visa applications by mail. The Chicago office only accepts applications presented in person.)

Applications are processed in less than 48 hours. This means that, assuming you've sent the application by priority mail and included a postage paid priority mail envelope for the return trip, an approved visa can be had in as little as one week, including travel time.

Your visa will consist of little more than a special stamp in your passport detailing the circumstances of your visa and the dates of validity. Also, there will be several stickers that are used as proof of payment of the applicable visa fees. Everything will be stamped liberally with the consular seal.

Overall, the process is quite painless and shouldn't be much of a challenge. I am now happy relaxing in the tropical warmth along the pacific coast.

Good luck with your visa application!

-Jojo

Change The FARC Can Believe In, Too

Here’s a interesting side note from the FARC documents recently recovered by Colombian intelligence after the cross border raid that downed FARC secretariat member Raul Reyes; it would appear that in addition for establishing guarantees and transport from the border, Raul Reyes and the FARC high command were also interested in seeking assistance from the Correa government in establishing communications with US Presidential contender Barrack Obama. (Recovered Document, 1.12Mb .PDF, in spanish)

Predicting that Obama will win the Oval Office, the document implies that Obama may be more sympathetic to the mission of the terrorist organization and illustrates its willingness to go on the record their desire to establish talks, pointing out Obamas' disapproval of Plan Colombia and free-trade agreements.

Full text:

6-Los gringos. pídenos cita con el ministro para solicitarle nos comunicara su interés en conversando los temas. Dicen que el nuevo presidente de su país será Obama y que a los están interesados en sus compatriotas. Obama no apoyara Plan Colombia el firma del TLC. Aquí respondimos que nos interesan las relaciones con ellos los gobiernos en igualdad de condiciones y que en el caso de Estados Unidos se requiere de un pronunciamiento público expresando sus interesen conversar con las FARC dada su eterna guerra contra nosotros.

Chavez a true Bull-ivarian. Go Colombia!

The headlines these days in Bogota are quite interesting. The Colombian government and people are celebrating the death of FARC No. 2 Raul Reyes, while the talking head to the east in Venezuela is massing troops on the border and putting the Air Force on alert. I don’t disagree that Colombia violated Ecuador’s border in going a mile deep in the Ecuadorian territory to whack this guy, but please. After 40+ years of fighting a bloody, cruel war with these hypocrites of the FARC, what would any other country do? Raul Reyes and the delusional FARC secretariat are Colombia’s Bin Laden. How many thousands of innocents have been killed, kidnapped, or displaced in these last 4 decades? How can Ecuador and Venezuela even dare protest such a victory for the Colombian people. And what does Mr. Chavez expect to gain from sticking his fat nose in Colombian business?

Chavez distracts his impoverished, crime ridden nation with crazy ideas that Darth Bush and the Empire are coming down to blow up their Tatooine and take their oil. Most venezuelans know better, but unfortunately the walls are closing in around them and how long will it be before the free press can’t keep them aware of reality. My sympathies go out to the Venezuelan people. You need another ‘revolution’ to get out of the one you never welcomed to begin with. Chavez calls Uribe a criminal for being a strong, moral, and intelligent leader of a proud and deserving people in their fight against true terrorism, but I don’t think the civilized world believes one word from a dictator who’s dismantled a thriving democracy, supports terrorists, creates regional tensions, and makes an ass of himself on the international stage. I think the King of Spain said it best when he said…”Por que no te callas?” (Why don’t you shut-up?).

Ok, so you’ve recalled your ambassador and you’ve got your 10 battalions on the border Mr. Chavez… now what? You constantly accuse the Colombian government of being a puppet regime of the United States. Now you want to find out? You are stupid. Give us a reason. Please.
Mr. Correa, wtf? Who are you? Lose your pal Chavez and your tune will change real quick. Instead of acting like your opinion matters in Colombia’s effective campaign against a genuine threat to the region, why don’t you put your boots on and help your people pump their flooded homes out. You really have much bigger problems than this. If you’re government wasn’t sympathetic to these FARC scum and if you didn’t allow them to use Ecuador as a refuge, you wouldn’t have this problem.

Obviously I have my opinions, whether I’m entitled to them or not. As a gringo living in Bogota, and after having contributed 5+ years of my life fighting the war on drugs, I think I am. And I think I’m right. President Uribe is the man. I’m perhaps ignorant to some of the day to day Colombian politics, but from what I’ve seen since 2002, he’s a leader of men. He’s morally just, firm, compassionate, effective, and unrelenting. When you have a 70% approval rating and your people change their constitution to allow you to seek another term, you’re doing something right. Don’t confuse that with the constitutional hijacking Mr. Chavez attempted along the same lines. Your people said NO!