Ecuador, 2003

Ecuador, a country profoundly committed to peace,

reaffirms its most categorical condemnation of

terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Terrorist

violence can never be justified for any reason and must

be fought with firmness, using all legal measures at the

disposal of States to counter this global threat. The

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action of terrorist organizations and networks respect

no national or regional borders. The successful

eradication of terrorism depends on international

cooperation and the concerted action of States in

accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.

Since I assumed the presidency of my country,

and now the presidency of the Andean Community, the

issue of Colombia has been at the top of my agenda.

My Government, on behalf of the Ecuadorian people,

has expressed its concern at that conflict because we

are linked to our neighbour Colombia by great ties of

friendship and deep historical roots.

Because of the serious threat that conflict poses

for the entire region, at the summit of the Presidents of

the Rio Group, held in Cusco in May of this year, I

made the following proposal. I urged Secretary-

General Kofi Annan to employ his good offices to give

a decisive boost to the peace process in Colombia. I

called on the guerrilla movements operating in that

country to sign a ceasefire agreement and to join an

open and transparent dialogue, accompanied by a

timetable with definite deadlines to be discussed and

approved by the parties, in order to reach a lasting and

peaceful solution to the Colombian conflict. That

proposal was enthusiastically embraced by all the

presidents of the Rio Group.

That unnecessary, fratricidal bloodshed is no

longer a problem limited to Colombia or even the

Andean nations. It is a conflict that increasingly

threatens the peace and stability of the entire world. We

must take care and act immediately before the monster

becomes uncontrollable. Therefore, at this global

forum, I ask for all free nations of the world not to

remain passive but decisively to support the Secretary-

General of the United Nations in the search for lasting

peace in Colombia.

The issue of external debt should cease to be

treated as a purely economic matter or as cold

statistics. It must be seriously examined for what it is, a

genuine human and social tragedy resulting from the

immense suffering it causes among innocent people. It

is too heavy a burden, preventing the progress of poor

but serious countries such as Ecuador, which manages

its public expenditures with great austerity and fiscal

discipline at a very great social cost, in order to comply

with its international financial commitments. These

poor but serious countries are making profound

structural reforms to bring order to salary, labour and

tax arrangements. These poor but serious countries are

combating corruption, social injustice and impunity.

They are working tirelessly to put an end to the

privileges of a gilded bureaucracy and striving to

modernize their public corporations. But it is not

enough: their merciless external debt absorbs the larger

part of those efforts and savings.

We are not asking for gifts. We are people of

honour, and we will continue to honour our obligations.

We are only asking for the opportunity to grow, to

become developed at a faster pace and to pay our debt,

which otherwise could be perpetuated for eternity.

How can we achieve the minimum standards for

education, health, growth and social welfare that are

contained in the manuals of the United Nations if my

country, Ecuador, must divert more than 40 per cent of

its budget to servicing its foreign debt?

External debt must be dealt with urgently and

seriously; the alarming figures in that respect make this

clear. It is imperative that a comprehensive, historic

and humanitarian agreement be reached among debtors

and creditors alike to reduce the burden on the budgets

of our countries, so as to increase the availability of

funds for social investment, to overcome the obstacles

and budget restrictions that are preventing us from

moving forward with social infrastructure projects.

We will continue to meet our external debt

payments; we cannot speak of true democracy if we do

not pay the social debt. This is a tragedy and a source

of weakness for democracy in poor but seriously

committed countries such as Ecuador. This reality

undermines democracy and democratic stability.

On the subject of migration, something important

needs to be said. Migratory flows along natural

survival lines cannot be halted by physical or legal

barriers. In recent centuries, marked by colonialism,

and during the first half of the twentieth century,

marked by wars, millions of people left their homes

and went elsewhere to seek refuge in new lands, among

generous people. That is why they came to America,

and America lovingly opened its arms to them.

Let me say to the people of the First World: now

that the flow is the other way around, now that your

children and grandchildren are going elsewhere, we are

wondering why you are not opening your doors to

immigrants. I would ask: if history, with its mysterious

determinism, is carrying them again to other lands, will

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they able to cite humanitarian reasons, or the need for

reciprocity, in order to be welcomed? On behalf of

America, let me say that we will once again receive

others.

My Government, through our Foreign Ministry, is

committed to preparing the groundwork and creating

conducive conditions for the thousands of Ecuadorians

who want to return home. They will be protected by

broad-based programmes that serve returnees. With

respect to those who decide to remain outside the

country, we are endeavouring to secure temporary

protected status for the undocumented, allowing them

to lead a life in conditions of normalcy and dignity.

My Government also is making tremendous

efforts to secure capital and foreign investments in

order to generate jobs and prevent our citizens from

having to leave their country, while at the same time

protecting family unity.

I have the honour of presiding over a Government

that is implementing a strategic plan that will allow

Ecuador to achieve and consolidate sustained economic

growth. One of the fundamental tasks of my

Administration is the uprooting of corruption, because

that phenomenon has been enemy number one of

democracy, and therefore of development and

prosperity, for many people in our region.

The fight against corruption is priority number

one for my Administration’s plan. That is what I said

during my electoral campaign, and I am fulfilling my

promise.

A handful of people devoid of morals, taking

advantage of political and bureaucratic opportunities,

seized Government funds and bank deposits. Now,

using their political connections, protected by

prestigious, well-paid attorneys, and abusing the

generosity of the countries giving them shelter, they are

enjoying with impunity the money they stole from my

country — a theft that destroyed not only our nation’s

economy but also shattered illusions and crushed

dreams and self-esteem, as well as the right to a life in

conditions of dignity for millions of Ecuadorians.

Therefore, from this rostrum of honour and

freedom, of equality and democracy, I ask all nations

the world over and the judicial systems of those

countries where those people have taken shelter for

their unconditional and immediate support in bringing

about the extradition of individuals wanted by

Ecuador’s judicial system, so that they can be tried

fairly and transparently. I ask also for support in

returning to Ecuador those ill-gotten funds.

Within my country, 13 million Ecuadorians have

mobilized to move forward and, under my leadership,

have, in eight months, made spectacular strides, as

reflected by economic indicators. We have managed to

control inflation, ratcheting down inflation from 12.5

per cent to 7.3 per cent a year, with forecasts for next

year of 4 per cent. The trade balance deficit has been

reduced by 62 per cent when comparing the period

January-July 2002 with the relevant period for this

year.

We signed an agreement with the International

Monetary Fund that opened to us the doors to

multinational credit organizations, and we have

managed to open the nation to the world, with the

result that foreign direct investment increased 70 per

cent between January and July 2003 over the same

period in 2002. Oil exports have grown by 25 per cent,

and non-oil exports by 12 per cent.

Confidence in our country is evident because the

financial system is functioning more smoothly. Total

deposits are steadily climbing, registering an increase

of 6 per cent over the past six months. International

monetary reserves recorded a 35 per cent increase.

External public debt, which amounted to 82 per cent of

gross domestic product in 1999, has been reduced by

41 per cent in 2003. Our country’s rating as a risk-

fraught country has been significantly reduced. This is,

without question, an achievement for my

Administration, because, through this indicator, the

international economic community as a whole is thus

showing confidence in Ecuador.

Ecuador has great energy potential, with

remaining reserves amounting to some 1.5 billion

barrels and in situ reserves amounting to approximately

8.9 billion barrels.

Ecuador is opening itself to the world for

investment in the energy sector. We are working on a

variety of large-, medium- and small-scale

hydroelectric projects to double our current energy

potential.

The current Administration is working for the

future — not just for the period of my presidential term

but for the next 50 years. The mining sector has been

extensively studied in recent years by the world’s

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major mining companies, which reached the

determination that Ecuador has vast potential.

Now that my country is regaining its economic

stability, my Administration has turned its attention to

social development. This is an Administration that will

pay not only its external debt, but also the social

debt — the one that has struck hardest at our own

people.

Ecuador is a country of many resources, natural

and human. It is opening itself to the world, to foreign

investment. Indeed, investment is on the rebound,

because foreign capital flows into our nation during the

period January-July 2003 grew by 189 per cent over

the same period of the previous year. We need more

investment in the oil, mining, hydroelectric, agro-

industrial, and tourist sectors.

Ecuador is a country with a touch of magic, with

stunning natural panoramas, cultural diversity and

varied customs. Located at the centre of the world, in

north-west South America, Ecuador has natural

treasures such as the Galapagos Islands, the exotic

Amazon jungle and majestic volcanoes such as

Chimborazo and Cotopaxi.

Finally, let me say that Ecuador’s international

policy is focused on working for sovereignty and is

based on the interests of the people whom I have the

honour to represent, in the framework of unswerving

support for the rule of law.

The future of global society cannot be separated

from the well-being of each of the peoples of the

world. If our global society is not just and equitable, if

people are not free to fight for their legitimate rights

and to realize their aspirations, there will be no peace

and we will be unable to defeat terrorism or to

eliminate poverty — the worst of human rights

violations.