“Kathleen, your recent remarks on property confiscation in Ecuador reminded me of my recent visit to that country.
“My wife and I visited Ecuador in May 2013 for about 10 days. We are Americans. On our third day in Ecuador, we were very lucky that we were able to go on a two-hour tour of the Presidential Palace.
“There were huge crowds of people standing in line at the Presidential Palace. We were in the large public square taking in the sites. Correa had just been re-elected, and the crowds were there celebrating his victory and some of them, the lucky ones, were going inside the palace on tours.
“I asked one of the president’s security officers if Americans could go inside. He told us, ‘Let me check.’ He ran inside for 10 minutes and returned. He told us the president of Ecuador welcomes us to the Ecuadorian people’s palace. And we went on a two-hour narrated tour inside. This was a very friendly gesture/invitation. What a gorgeous place!
“For the president of Ecuador, this is the equivalent of the White House in the United States. What an ornate place. Many million-dollar chandeliers. His presidential office is here, his cabinet works here, etc. Normally the president of Ecuador lives here, too, but this president decided it is much better for his wife and his children not to live here, we were told. Instead he owns his own home outside the city of Quito so his family can live a normal life not surrounded by military guards and the politics.
“When I say lucky, we were told the palace is almost never open for tours. Only because he just was sworn in for his third term a few days earlier was this building open to the public for a few days to celebrate.”
–Richard G., United States
–Rick A., United States
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