Accepting Ecuador’s Reality

With the death of Manta's mayor Agustin Intriago, I've come to the realization that we have to accept the reality of Ecuador and learn to live with it.
#Ecuador #Manta

[@DonShader]

Great job my friend. This assasination is very unsettling for me but as I always like to say, this too shall pass. I'm very sad for the Mayor and his family and I worry for their future. There still is hope for this great city and all of Ecuador.

[@magnusb6311]

It will be interesting to see what my favorite grumpy old man has to say about it.

[@RM-ud5yv]

Thank you for your insight into this difficult time in a country of so many good people being dictated by Albanians, Mexicans, and nearby neighbors. Hopefully on August 20th the voters will start on a path to restore peace and serenity, This change must come from within but as often said in 5he USA, Freedom is not free.

[@hoppeanofasgard1365]

@@RM-ud5yv The problem is that it's just to entrenched, I think there's only two ways to fix these kinds of problems when it's gone this far and government is this corrupt. 1. is a revolution which Ace eludes to at the end of this talk. 2. is people taking local action to fix things them selves, this can be through radically changing local government, privatizing things, nullification, things like that. Anything short of this is just wishful thinking, doesn't matter if it's Ecuador or the US, entrenched corruption doesn't just go away from voting in a few good people because for one, you don't know if they're actually good, you can't always go on what politicians say, because as they say talk is cheap and rhetoric can be, well, just rhetoric lol, and two, even if you had a good politician there's no guarantee the system wouldn't just take him out, and even if by some chance he wasn't killed by someone the corrupt courts could just block every good thing he tries to do.

[@tomdewerff3290]

Ace, you did a very good job at explaining the situations facing Ecuador in a non-partison and understandable way and got down to the root of the the issue. It is truly devastating to know that this has happened to the mayor and innocent bystanders. Prayers for the city of Manta and the country as hopefully new opportunities for a new government to improve these issues will come to fruition.

[@riodejaneiro4793]

Let's take a look at some facts: 1. The notion that having a US military base in Ecuador would be something positive... is baseless. The US has been operating at least seven military bases in Colombia for almost two decades. The results? Drug production and trafficking in Colombia have increased threefold. So, having US military bases is not only useless but clearly counterproductive. 2. There has always been drug trafficking in Ecuador. In the 1980s anybody who wanted a dose of marihuana or any stronger drug could easily get it. But there was NEVER the brutal violence we are suffering today. 3. Drug trafficking and money laundering increased rapidly after Ecuador dollarized its economy in the year 2000. Drugs are sold in the US... in cash. Bulks of cash are sent to Ecuador, where it's easily laundered by buying real estate, vehicles, companies, etc. Having the dollar as the official national currency makes this process very easy and convenient. 4. Rafael Correa, who was president from 2007 to 2017, allowed drug trafficking and money laundering grow with no barriers. He also had a very hostile relation with the US. 5. The next president, Lenin Moreno, tried to be a friend of the US again, mainly because his government had run out of money and needed help from the IMF to save the dollarization. In order to approve the IMF assistance, the US told Moreno to re-start the "drug against drugs", which Correa had long ignored. Moreno "couldnt refuse that offer". So, in 2018, the police and the military quietly began capturing drug shipments and threwing petty smugglers in jail. Soon, prisons were overflowing. Violence among cartels became frecuent. By the end of Moreno's term in 2021, large scale massacres in Ecuador's prisons were commonplace. 6. The current president, Guillermo Lasso, is another US puppet. The Pandora Papers revealed he has lots of money hidden in secret accounts in South Dakota. So he has to obey whatever the US tells him. Lasso doubled down on the "war against drugs". But, while Lenin Moreno was quiet about it, Lasso is extremely loud. The results speak louder: unprecedented violence, corruption, lawlessness. 7. The "war against drugs" is a FAILED US policy. It does not reduce the amount of drugs that enter the US. It causes extreme violence and corruption. Countries around the world are FORCED to implement that policy, out of fear of sanctions. The only solution is to END the war on drugs, everywhere.

[@jessiesheldon-huffey1824]

You are right about all this but the silver lining is this: the US is about to be decimated in a war and the economy is careening towards an unpreventBle collapse. When this happens, I hope the United States won't have the power to control other countries anymore.

[@dusty295]

Visited Ecuador in April, we loved it and the people. So sad to see what is happening. Please keep up the good fight.

[@tomdewerff3290]

Ace, you really did a great job with this video explaining the issues Ecuador is facing in a non-partisan and understandable way. Thanks for your candor and honesty. Prayers for the city of Manta and the country of Ecuador to find a new government that can effectively make the changes needed to improve the city and the country.

[@mariogutierrezc]

The new government in Ecuador should / must ask for international help ASAP. Peru is the nearer best option for fighting against narcos and criminals Our police has "the know how" to fight drugs-cartels, cyber-crimes, explosives, terrorism. DIRCOTE, SUAT, DINOES, DIRANDRO, UDEX, DIVINDAT . . .

[@BPe-ie9je]

Excellent, sensitive coverage, GM Ace. Tough topic. You hit all the spokes in the wheel. Your intellect, senstivity and candor is truly appreciated. Keep taking good care of yourself. (4 months). Again, thanks.

[@ssjuli8230]

When you said "No one wants to live through this" I really felt that ;-;

[@Mtnshell56]

Every life is precious and priceless ❤

[@thegreatzaza9293]

Excellent job, Ace! Very well balanced reporting. Saw your member update this morning and am going to be sending you an email so watch for that.

[@Mtnshell56]

Thank you for your candid and compassionate discussion of a difficult and sensitive topic.

[@LivingLovingAbroad]

Great video brother! We don't have enough information where we live in Salinas to form a complete opinion about Manta or Ecuador in general, so we really appreciate this video. We still love the country, so thank you for your efforts to inform, keep up the great work!

[@Alvey_en_Ecuador]

A really good job mate. I appreciate what you do, thank you.

[@GuideUsTitus]

From America, I applaud you stepping up to spread awareness and encourage change en masse. We have the same problem here and The People are sick of it. Keep fighting the good fight. Mantenerte seguro brotha! 💪🏻 יברך יהוה וישמרך🪽

[@Manifesting_Secret_Sketchbook]

NOBODY wants to live in fear. 😢

[@Me-sj9tq]

Agree that's why I'm leaving the u.s.

[@Manifesting_Secret_Sketchbook]

@@Me-sj9tq hey there are you still leaving USA?

[@brandonwoodley5198]

Thank you for a truly honest perspective. No rose colored glasses. One thing I will never understand is when expats make comparisons to the states and brush it off like no big deal.

[@afterthefox]

stay safe bro...my wife is from Manta...Tucker...when i went down i loved it so much and was treated like a member of the family.....God Bless Manta...

[@Manifesting_Secret_Sketchbook]

Thankyou, very brave to inform us.

[@dianamayfield5615]

Thank you, Ace. I appreciate your opinions on the situation in Manta and Ecuador in general.

[@pedroblanco8311]

Thanks for publishing this with Spanish subtitles Ace. It's a tough topic, and you delivered it well. I'm like # 299, and it appears you have 6.1k views as of 8-13-23.

[@anana_thepathtooneness]

Yikes ❤ so sorry to hear.. thank you for sharing about this

[@a.alexandrajimenez8437]

Please be careful 🙁and thanks for sharing this information with us.

[@jackbaldwin3649]

Good insight and certainly applies to every government in every country. People do have the power to change things.

[@jerad957]

Great Video, thanks for the insight, Stay Safe!

[@loud3195]

Nice job with addressing the elephant in the room when it comes to the drug and gang violence in Ecuador. Stay strong and your opinions matter! God bless

[@benjaminsmith6031]

Eres muy valiente amigo. Sigue fuerte y que Dios te bendiga y te proteja al abogar por nuestra Tierrita Linda.

[@meowco69]

I agree in terms of what you say regarding two deaths versus 100. The thing is over here in the states we have sadly become somewhat desensitized to the number of mass shootings that occur now on a weekly basis. It's become like an every day occurrence. For us here in the US two deaths seem morbidly surprisingly low compared to the number of deaths that we see reported in the news each day. So for us going over there and hearing of these killings while it's tragic and horrible we may not be as outraged as a person living in Ecuador seeing what is happening.

[@lvovodessa]

Ecuadorians and expats have also become 'desensitized'. Ecuador's current murder rate is 40 at this moment and a shocking 7,200 murders are expected in this small country until the end of the year.

[@hoppeanofasgard1365]

What are the chancers of having a revolution in Ecuador like you speak about at the end Ace? Do people discuss things like that?

[@mr-vet]

A revolution is not in Ecuador's future. Crime ebbs and flows...in the US, Ecuador, UK, France, Mexico, Canada, Japan, etc....I was in Ecuador last year for two weeks in May/June with my wife (who is Ecuatoriana, but left at 18 in 1993), visiting her family. Rented a car in Guayaquil; stayed in Samborondon; drove to Salinas, Montanita, Olon, Cuenca, Chordeleg, Balzar, Colimas, downtown Guayaquil, via a la costa.

[@DJohnson01]

Thanks for this information. I was worried after reading the community post. I feel you were very objective and just talked about the same things the media, and the people on the streets, are talking about. This will have no effect on my decision to move to Ecuador. I feel that with the deep-rooted problems in Ecuador that there is, in my opinion, no one to blame. Unless the perpetrators come forth and claim what they did and why it is all speculation it is all speculation.

[@3cuaBabii]

While I wholeheartedly agree with so much of what you said, I think it’s important to think about drug use not just from a criminal perspective but a mental health one as well. I only experience this from my Ecuadorian family as a US born Ecuadorian American, so I don’t really know the cultural position that the country takes as a whole, but the topic of mental health and drug use from my family is approached from a moral perspective rather than psychological. Drug abuse is a mental health issue. You don’t become an addict because things are going super well for you. I have friends who have clawed their way out of addiction, but only with immeasurable help from therapy, meds, and doing the hard internal work. I’ve also lost friends to drug addiction who never received the support they so desperately needed.

[@LucidguyAdventures]

Great job Ace, well done. I so feel you and appreciate you discussing such a hot topic. If I may add a few opinions that are likely non- mainstream. 1. Correa kicked the US out of Ecuador because the US was spying and behaving in a manner that was untrustworthy. I’m from the US and I understand inviting the US military into your country is an invitation to spy and manipulate your country. Tons of evidence to support this belief. 2. I’m right there with you about the insensitive nature of comparing any loss of life to another. Unfortunately the US has become numb to the reality of killing, both US citizens and people in a foreign country. That’s a natural and logical consequence of having a military that consumes more money than many developed countries combined. 3. I so appreciate that part of the Ecuadorian people. They are so connected and they prioritize family and relationships above material possessions. I know it’s a broad brush but it’s certainly the majority that I’ve met. 4. There is hope if the people turn more towards each other and inward to find love there will be a change. It won’t happen immediately but it will happen. IMO the worst thing to do is to allow fear to drive the decisions and allow a foreign country, any foreign country, to provide “aid” which we all know is a code word for control. 5. This one is unfounded as I can find no evidence however that goes hand in hand with covert operations. Is it possible the United States is actively working to undermine stability in Ecuador to offer to be the “hero” and come in to provide security? This is exactly what has happened in many other countries and the ironic thing is the US covert operations ALWAYS involve drug trafficking. It’s unlikely the US was behind the assassination but it is likely the US is funding the cartels in creating chaos to destabilize the country before next months elections. The US will go to any extreme to cause pain to any country that threatens the United States. Ecuador leaning towards an anti-US president is plenty of reason for such use of US covert assets. I really appreciate your videos and the content is muy bueno. I’m happy to provide sources for anything I write, just ask. Robert

[@mr-vet]

Although my wife still has a lot of family in Ecuador, one of her brothers (with 4 children) moved to Barcelona with his family about 25 years ago…his children and his grandchildren have all had kids born in Spain. None of them plan on moving back to Ecuador.

[@Quitumbe954]

I'm second generation ecuadorian American my grandparents were the first wave of ecuadorian migrants in usa and I moved to ecuador, got my bloodright citizenship and lived there for 5 years, I plan on going back as soon as I get my son his ecuadorian citizenship and my wife her passport... my wife's Italian american

[@siminnouri9306]

😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢 But crying is not enough I agree with you we have to change the system, because is so rotten to be fixed. Is the same situation in Middle East , I always thought I wish Middle East didn’t have oil so they wouldn’t have corruption, but is not that is the capitalism in its last stages of existence that can’t answer the needs of 21st century demands people are more in touch with their needs and they know we have resources and technology that can have provide for our humanity . We thinking about humanity not profit the era of profit making is almost over that’s why we see all these changes around the world . We are in renaissance making era. Long live people struggle all over the world. Global solidarity .

[@Robertsdogs]

Ace really good job of explaining eery thing man! #ACEforPresident!

[@mr-vet]

Regarding US military in Ecuador, when I was in the US Army, I spent more than 6 months total, over an 18-month period of time during 1993 & 1994 in Lago Agio/Nueva Loja with US SOUTHCOM & US Air Force counter drug efforts supporting Ecuador. Not sure when these missions stopped.

[@jessiesheldon-huffey1824]

Nothing. US military presence in other countries is solely financial. The people in charge want to control resources 😢

[@sonidoseternos6897]

my take on this situation as a foreigner thinking of living in Ecuador its really making me stop and think , i want to bring my daughter with me but seriously i don't find it encouraging , just watching the daily news in Ecuador its getting very weird especially that public bus incident in Guayaquil.

[@gelssonortiz2720]

Be safe out there brother

[@seantambunan9730]

I am planning to visit quito end of this month. Listening to your explanation, can i say that it is still safe?

[@Curious859]

I’m about 3:40 in your video. I hate myself for rushing into things just so I can comment, but I can’t help it 😩 Anyone ever questions or wonders why the US is chosen to “Stop corruption” in other countries? While the same government is THE most corrupted of them all. I didn’t know that the US military basis were kicked out of Ecuador. Otherwise I would’ve loved Ecuador even more. I hope that they keep the military out. The most dangerous cartel in the world aren’t what people think. They work behind the scenes and run the world.

[@wtcneverforget8163]

I remember being in Manta in 2008 and I believe the next year the lease was up on the base for the U.S. Correa wasn't going to have the U.S. there any longer since he wanted to use that space for trade with Asia.

[@alejandracedeno.2711]

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@hoppeanofasgard1365]

Maybe one possible alternative that could fix at least some cities in Ecuador would be prospera model they did Roatan Honduras, if you don't know what it is I'd suggest looking into it, but just briefly they privatized the services of government and allowed like 4 or 5 different regulatory models to be chosen by the people, you choose the model you like, pay for insurance and the court system you like under which model and those fees basically take the place of taxes, but it works out better because if you don't like one model you can switch to another model or even create your own model within a certain scope if you can get enough people behind it.

[@DavidMiranda-pm9tg]

I dont have the time to spend 37 min so I increase the speed to 1.75 to make it faster anyways thanks for the information!

[@LuisVPazmino]

Vi todo el video, y no sé si quisieras hacer un análisis del debate del día 13, pero, solo diré (en español para que también lo vean los cercanos a ti), que si queremos avanzar y dejar esto de las bandas, vacunadores atrás y empezar a trabajar por y en un mejor país, la mejor opción es JT. Y muchos dicen que está ligado a un caso de corrupción, pero investigando, se puede ver que las cortes no dictaminaron eso. En fin, nos deseo lo mejor. Saludos.

[@kevinsilvas3004]

Is it possible that the increase in violence is because of gangs and cartels running from the El Salvador and Honduras aggressive actions toward cartels and gangs?

[@Cocoabebe7]

All lives matter and praying for people I know there , it’s not ok 🙏😔😔

[@magnusb6311]

First off, good presentation. I follow a few Ecuador channels that I like. Like yours, Dons, and abundant living based in Vilcabamba. I always like, sometimes comment and click ads to support your algorithm and channel. Secondly, I am sorry for what has happened and their souls and their families are in my light. No matter what, I am sure of that karma is the bitch and that responsible ones will soon have to pay back. Now, I’m not a politician either but this would be my recipe. 1. Remove a lot of the corruption on high politic level by installing a law for all politicians of federal and province level, president, prefects, ministers. They will get a good pay, a western world pay, at the same time, they will be illegalized from receiving any other payments or incomes. There needs to be a audit team reviewing this and accounts of all these people. Furthermore, install a law where it is illegal to vote for any laws that in some way may benefit the politician. Example voting for a law that installing a rule that all gasoline must have 10% ethanol when the politician him/herself owns stock in an ethanol manufacturer company. Start paying the police decent, no, really good money so that it’s not worth it taking bribes. Install what they in America call castle laws, the right to defend your home, business and family from threats of bodily harm. Allow people to have guns in their home to defend themselves. If 80% of homes are armed, and have the law behind them a kidnapper or home invasion criminal will have to consider several times the risks of committing a crime. Benchmark what they are doing in El Salvador and copy what they do to deal with gangs and cartels. It has worked great. They were the most dangerous country in the world only a few years ago. Now they are one of the safer countries in Latin America.

[@JulioGarcia-rn2lb]

100% true

[@lisas44]

I wonder if this has to do with CBDCs. Apparently Ecuador canceled their CBDC program.

[@thomasgourley2991]

Thank you for that info, but I have to blame Lasso for the open border policy that let a lot of gangs in along with the good people. The US is doing the same. This is from international pressure to have open borders.

[@charliephoenix5283]

I’m looking to travel to Ecuador (flying to Quito from the UK) in September for a month. Is Ecuador safe for travellers visiting at this time? Sorry if this has been answered I didn’t have time to watch the entire video

[@NeonAnimeDreams]

Just as safe as any other month, might want to stay out of Guayaquil though.

[@charliephoenix5283]

@@NeonAnimeDreams Thanks man, are you from Ecuador yourself? or have you travelled there recently?

[@charliephoenix5283]

Ace answers my questions perfectly at around 25 mins, thanks for the video!

[@NeonAnimeDreams]

@charliephoenix5283 I've traveled there a few times, last time was a year and a half ago. It's a cool place, especially in mountains, you'll love it!

[@mariogutierrezc]

After Ecuador, jump to Peru

[@mrbushlied7742]

I was considering retiring to Ecuador. However, now I plan on retiring to Argentina. I shall visit Argentina for 5 weeks in September to see which Argentine city is best for me. Another bonus: since November 2022, foreign credit cards pay the MEP rate, which is close to the Dollar Blue rate. So, you don't have to go to Western Union every other day to buy pesos.

[@efilhgih]

Legalize❤😇

[@PenelopePitstop888]

It's very unfortunate to live in a political atmosphere in which you must worry & be careful of espousing your valid opinion.

[@inspirations07]

Thank you for your input on it but please dont get too much involved in this :(

[@karenstandefer1]

There was also Moreno between Correa and Lasso. Moreno took his eye off of the borders and concentrated too much on finances. I'm an American and the view I have is that it was a good thing to kick out the US Military. The US has made chaos all over S. America for many decades. I don't trust my own home country.

[@user-kt4rx7si6o]

Maroc 🇲🇦👍👍👍❤❤❤

[@mbwahaha]

I dont see how Ecuador could solve this issue with its local police, or even with the military... The budget for security is tiny, the officials are very corrupt and the people is very ignorant. We should ask for external help and put in place a specific tax to pay for that, managed by an external entity, not the local goverment. I cant imagine how we can deal with this by ourselves. Nobody in the ecuadorian police department will even try to do anything, and put their familys at risk for the minimum wage. They will probably take the cartel money and become part of the cartel themselves, just like in Mexico. I live in Spain, and drug related murders happen all of the time, along with corrupt police officers getting caught. If that happens here, where police is well trained, well funded and the officers earn a decent salary, can you imagine the situation in Ecuador? Its fkin hopeless.

[@hoppeanofasgard1365]

Yea I've suggested the Prospera model as a possible solution, it's basically outside companies that come in and offer an alternative form of governance that can run parallel to the main government. You're not forced to pay into it but it's incentivized that you do because it brings jobs and security to the area, it worked super well for the island of Roatan and corruption reduced immensely as prosperity increased.

[@lephilosopheinconnu3952]

Yeah right and it also happens in Detroit and San Diego. Just saying. It's a SERIOUS global ISSUE

[@mariogutierrezc]

Ecuador should ask for help to Peru. My country is prepared for fighting all kind of gangs and criminals. We have expert police prepared to fight drugs-cartels, cyber-crimes, explosives, terrorism, etc. DIRCOTE, SUAT, DINOES, DIRANDRO, UDEX, DIVINDAT . . .

[@mbwahaha]

@@mariogutierrezc I don't know about that, Peru is the 2nd biggest cocaine producer in the world, and that it's a big part of what's happening in Ecuador. In a prefect world. Perú, Colombia and Ecuador would join forces to end this problem, but since drugs bring so much money and corrupt anyone, it's impossible. The worst part is for Ecuador, because we don't produce as much as Colombia and Perú, but we suffer the violence of those cartels that want to control our ports. It sucks.

[@hoppeanofasgard1365]

@@mariogutierrezc Yea maybe bring them in as private contractors, of course ask the people to pay for a voluntary fund for it, but once enough money is raised then they could come in and clean house.

[@eduardor5899]

Do you plan on leaving ?

[@ioroman]

Rafael Correa did not cancel any agreement for the US Manta base. He simply did not renew the agreement because it violated Ecuadorian sovereignty and therefore the Ecuadorian Constitution. Tying Ecuador's sovereignty to outside powers has been a dream for the political right in Ecuador. Lasso, during these last few months has placed the Galapagos under the management of a trust created two weeks before the announcement. No one knows who funds the trust. Additionally, Lasso announced an agreement with the US for police training for the next seven years. This type of agreements are likely being rushed given the probability that Luisa Gonzales from Rafael Correa's Citizens Revolution might win the presidency in August's elections. Getting out of this type of agreement is always onerous for the host country, as some locals become addicted to the $$ flow of $$ dollars. Here is an example: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qWTVkKSMpZugp9k You included a favorite of some people in Ecuador - "Es culpa de Correa" "It is Correa's fault". There have been two presidencies since Rafael Correa left office; however, his detractors still blame him for the consequences of their decisions, not for the achievements of his time in office. Since your audience includes people looking to relocate to Ecuador, they could research about the time when Ecuador was seen as a retirement heaven - one of the most secure countries in the region, excellent health care, fine and improving infrastructure, expedited immigration process, etc. That was the time when, for several years, Cuenca, Ecuador was chosen by International Living as the # 1 retirement destination city in the world. That was the time when Rafael Correa was president.

[@KeXous]

we undestood, 'just legalize guns' and thing will go as in old good times. How did you guys even lost that right?

[@hoppeanofasgard1365]

I think it happened around 15 years ago some president signed in really strict G-C laws basically striping the rights away from citizens, I'm glad the current president is trying to restore those rights though.

[@hoppeanofasgard1365]

I think the problem Ecuador has is it's not allowing the regulated sale of drugs, I know it's decriminalized in Ecuador to own the drugs but you still can't sell them, and if you can't sell them legally the gangs will come in and fill the void because they don't care about legality. This was the case in the US for about 35 years with marijuana until most states legalized it, now that they have there's far less crime and violence associated with marijuana because not many gangs are dealing in it anymore. That being said there's probably some drugs that should never be made legal like the fentanyl you mentioned or heroin, drugs like this are way to addictive and can kill pretty easily if you're not super careful with your dosage. even cocaine if it were made legal, which I think it should be, would have to be highly regulated as to the amounts that are sold because while only having a slight chance of killing you the chance is still there. tight regulations on amounts sold, as well as a medical screening for possible heart problems should be done before the sale of such compounds. So far though, only two countries in the world have legalized cocaine, and most others are not willing to no matter how much violence is associated with the cartels that sell it, and oh boy is that violence alot, coke more so then any other drug gives these cartels power and money and it has to stop. Legalize coke, marijuana, shrooms, things like that, and the most deadliest stuff keep it off the streets as best as you can, it's my belief once police are not focusing on the less harmful drugs that they can focus far more on the super dangerous ones.

[@Resmith18SR]

These murders of politicians have nothing to do with whether drugs are legal or illegal in Ecuador. It's all about maintaining of control of territory, power, and huge amounts of money.

[@glenncapitanio3706]

The government should consult the government in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico so everything works.

[@RonPaulyGirl]

100% conjecture and zero facts

[@luisching64]

My brother. I respect you, but please stop saying Man Ta and say Manta . I get you speaking English. Just it the right way. Not the English way. It just sound funny. Please 🙏🏼