Police 'restore' Galapagos order

[HuckleB]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3683756.stm

Police 'restore' Galapagos order

"Ecuador officials say police have taken control of the Galapagos Islands national park following a row over the appointment of a new park director.

Park wardens protesting against the appointment have been involved in clashes with local fishermen. The wardens say the president is treating the directorship as a political favour, and the constant changes are hampering their work.

The new park director, Fausto Cepeda, is the eighth in two years. Mr Cepeda has now been installed in his office, but only after violent confrontations between the park wardens occupying the buildings, and groups of fishermen throwing stones and wielding saws and cutlasses.

"I'm in my office. I'm in control. And I'm trying to lower the tension," the Associated Press news agency quoted him as saying.

The BBC's Elizabeth Blunt says the fishermen are backing Mr Cepeda in the hope that he will relax the tight restrictions on fishing for lobsters and sea cucumbers enforced by his predecessor, biologist Edwin Naula."

[mountebank]

1. Unbelievably - the Galapagos are underfunded.

Though it costs $100 for an international tourist to step through the gate, the money apparently goes into a pool back in Quito and is then dispersed to all the parks - or just maybe not dispersed at all. The Galapagos should keep the money it brings in - unlikely with upstart-thug Lucio Gutierrez in the President's seat. Hopefully it won't be long before the people run him out of the country like they have the others....

I wonder why the Ecuadorian indigenous people can't seem to organize like they do Bolivia and elsewhere.....

[HuckleB]

2. Actually...

The indigenous people of Ecuador have organized quite well over time, perhaps making changes in government more profound than anywhere else in SA, including Bolivia. That doesn't mean that corruption doesn't continue to be an issue. (It does everywhere in SA.) This is a long road to hoe.

Of course the money should stay in the Galapagos. On the other hand, the UN and the world in general should be doing something to help maintain the Galapagos. It is truly one of the world's wonders, and it's disgraceful for mankind to put its maintenance solely on the shoulders of a country with such limited resources.

[mountebank]

5. Could you name a few of those changes?

The dollarization, mad dash to build pipelines, President after President run out after wide-scale corruption and downright theft.... Granted, to some extent this is an endemic problem in Latin America, but I don't hear much about Ecuador making strides. Not in the papers, and not from the people (I visit quite often and know many people Quito). Lucio seems to be in the pocket of the wealthy - and that runs counter to recent trends elsewhere in Latin America. Nevertheless, I'm not an expert on the subject....

The Galapagos is a World Heritage Site and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Not sure what more the world community can do short of occupying the place.

[davidinalameda]

3. thought the turtles were revolting

sorry

[HuckleB]

4. ?