Ecuador’s president says Biden’s democracy agenda should start with Latin America | Opinion
A few weeks ago, people across the globe were transfixed as the world’s most enduring democracy was severely tested, and. No one watched more closely than the people in Latin America.
Over the coming months many in the broader Americas will go to the polls in their own elections, which will determine whether our nations follow the example of the U.S. and demonstrate the resilience of our democratic systems, or instead succumb to our own divisions.
Effective democracies require strong institutions that give a voice to citizens, constrain power and maintain checks and balances. This is where past governments of Ecuador and others in our hemisphere failed our people, when fragile democratic institutions were overwhelmed by the forces of populism. And this is why, as president Joe Biden considers his new administration’s many priorities, rekindling democratic partnerships in the region should be among his most urgent.
This year, no fewer than eight Latin American countries will hold legislative or presidential elections, or both. My nation, Ecuador, will be the first. And given our unique recent history, the example we set for the others will be immensely important.
In the years before i took office, the retreat of democracy was a dangerous trend in Latin America. Charismatic but reckless leaders drove their nations away from democratic principles, alienated close partners, limited the rights of their people, and accepted support from external actors intent upon disrupting our region’s path toward democracy and closer economic integration with the united states.
In Ecuador, my predecessor exploited this trend by abusing his domestic powers and disengaging from the united states. Yet while his bravado had a certain appeal, years of growing corruption, economic turmoil, and indebtedness took their toll. Since taking office in 2017, I have sought to lead our nation back to a path that reflects Ecuador’s democratic values and toward partners who shared our ideals. My administration has worked tirelessly to restore Ecuador’s democratic institutions, instill respect for constitutional order, restore freedom of expression and of the press, and revive our international relations. We have restructured our external debts, promoted public-private partnerships in key industries such as infrastructure and energy, fought against corruption, and secured comprehensive trade partnerships with certain key allies.
We have also reinvigorated our relations with the United States, with which we had enjoyed close ties for more that 170 years. Together, we signed a phase one trade agreement to facilitate commerce between our nations; re-opened the U.S. agency for international development’s operations in Ecuador to catalyze economic development and support regional security; and resumed our longstanding collaboration with the U.S. to fight drug trafficking. We also recently secured financing by the U.S. development finance corporation that will stimulate our economy, generate employment and free us from crippling debt repayment schemes.
As vice president, Biden understood the significance of strong relations with Latin America. He recognized that regional integration would have a positive and lasting impact, providing stability and encouraging economic integration and growth across the hemisphere.
The imperative to advance these goals also has a geopolitical dimension. Ecuador is the only country in the Americas bordering the pacific ocean that does not have a comprehensive trade agreement with the United States. A closer U.S.-Ecuador partnership will strengthen the position of the entire hemisphere and promote new jobs, fair trade and high commercial standards all along the pacific rim – a vision we share with the united states and that i intend to advance until my last day in office.
For these reasons, regional integration should be at the top of president Biden’s priority list. The nations of Latin America are not all on the same trajectory, and hemispheric alignment is by no means guaranteed. Ecuador is not the only country impacted by empty promises and polarizing figures who sow division and discord.
Some of our neighbors, encouraged by external actors, have derailed both democratic and economic progress. As a result, the elections taking place in the coming weeks and months may well tip the scale for or against the progress our region urgently needs, and that president Biden knows is also vital to U.S. interests.
Attention now, along with renewed U.S. leadership in this year’s summit of the Americas, will bolster the efforts of those who strive for freedom, democracy and prosperity to flourish in all the hemisphere.
It is essential that like-minded democracies join together to reinforce and build on tangible outcomes of our shared values and approach.
Together, we can win the debates confronting the Americas today not through words that our opponents use to divide, but through actions that unite us in the cause of improving the lives of our citizens.
Lenín Moreno is the outgoing president of Ecuador, where elections will be held next week.
This story was originally published January 31, 2021 at 6:00 AM.