![](\"http:\/\/cyber.law.harvard.edu\/blogs\/static\/dowbrigade\/locotrain.jpg\")
It seems train stories are
\n all the rage this week, so here’s another one. Almost 150 years ago,
\n in 1869, in Promontory, Utah, the Union Pacific tracks joined those of
\n the
\n Central
\n Pacific Railroad
\n in the completion of the North American transcontinental railroad. In
\n many
\n ways, this was the dawning of the American Age of Empire. Those twin
\n steel strands grew into the commercial central nervous system of an entire
\n continent- making possible everything from the development of a national
\n identity to the agricultural exploitation of the Great Plains, to the
\n evolution of hobos and American wanderlust.<\/p>\n
Since the Dowbrigade first began to study the history of the southern
\n half of our continent, it has always seemed exceedingly, almost diabolically
\n odd
\n that today, 150 years later, there is STILL no land-link between the
\n Atlantic and Pacific in South America. To get from the Atlantic coast
\n in Brazil to the Pacific ports of Colombia, Ecuador or Peru, one must
\n take a convoluted series of riverboats, frequently portaging over often
\n impassable mud tracks. When asked, most South Americans shrug and mention
\n one or more of the obvious difficulties; the inhospitable Amazon river
\n basin, the imposing Andes, the endemic rivalries between the different
\n latin nations, the institutional ineptitude of public works projects
\n in general.<\/p>\n
But given the advances in engineering and technology and the potential
\n benefits to the continent as a whole, it seems incredible to the point
\n of paranoia that east and west remain connected only by sea and air,
\n not by land. A conspiratorial mind might conclude that the northern powers
\n that be have manipulated politics and commerce so that the natural treasure
\n house of the south never achieves continental consciousness and coordination.<\/p>\n
However, the
\n talk of the town here in Manta, at least among the business circles in
\n which
\n we are currently hanging out, is a proposal to construct a long-anticipated
\n rail link from Manta to Manaus, Brazil. This would open up the entire
\n Amazon region, providing a direct and inexpensive outlet for Brazil to
\n the markets of the Pacific, a route for billions in Asian
\n imports
\n destined
\n for the Atlantic coast of South America, and the key to unlocking the
\n treasures and mysteries of the Amazon itself.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the proposals and discussions are currently mired in The rivalry between the two regions permeates all aspects of Ecuadorian In the current case, the costal power block is in favor of making Manta Unfortunately, the powerblock centered in the mountains finds the idea Meanwhile, the prospective Brazilian partners are getting frustrated, It seems train stories are all the rage this week, so here’s another one. Almost 150 years ago, in 1869, in Promontory, Utah, the Union Pacific tracks joined those of the Central Pacific Railroad in the completion of the North … Continue reading
\n the quagmire of internal Ecuadorian politics – specifically the rivalry
\n between the coast and the sierra. There are authentic differences
\n between the two regions – the coastal lowlands, with Guayaquil as its
\n capital and commercial center, are populated by families of European,
\n Afro-American and mestizo descent, more relaxed and liberal, warm and
\n wet like their climate, while in the Andean highlands, whose power center
\n is the national capital in Quito, the population consists of a few old,
\n traditional families, descendants of the Spanish hacienderos (large
\n land-owners) and millions of Native Americans, whose culture is conservative,
\n religious and whose demeanor is often cold and dry, like their<\/em> climate. <\/p>\n
\n life; sports, politics, business, entertainment, foreign relations, internal
\n tourism, etc. As an outsider, it is our opinion that this. like so many
\n ethnic and regional rivalries, is an artificial dividing line, encouraged
\n if not created by the small, rich power brokers in both areas to keep
\n the "common" people distracted and at each other’s throats, allowing
\n them to blame their misfortunes and lack of development on each other
\n rather than on those really responsible – the small number of families,
\n both on the coast and in the sierra, who have been extracting huge fortunes
\n from the natural resources and labor of the population for over 500 years,
\n since the Conquistadors started shipping gold back to Europe.<\/p>\n
\n the Pacific terminal of the southern transcontinental railroad. It
\n is the only deep-water port in the country, able to accept even the largest
\n super-tankers and cargo ships. It is only 3 hours from Guayaquil,
\n has modern infrastructure, and is a favorite vacation getaway for rich
\n coste?os, many of whom already have vacation homes here.<\/p>\n
\n of all that wealth and developmental power accruing to the coastal clique
\n completely unacceptable. They have proposed an alternative: develop
\n the port of Esmeraldas, at the northern end of the country, only four
\n hours by modern highway from Quito and the favored beach resort for rich
\n highland families and politicians from the capital. Of course it would
\n take at least a decade and hundreds of millions of dollars to deepen
\n the harbor and develop the infrastructure to make Esmeraldas a viable
\n alternative to Manta, but hey, the railroad itself will probably take
\n that long to build, and the expense is worth it if you look at it as
\n an investment destined to keep the power and the glory from falling to
\n the coastal group.<\/p>\n
\n and antsy, and starting to cast sidelong glances at the Peruvian port
\n of Callao. Once again, senseless, artificial rivalries and petty short-sightedness
\n are providing a perfect example of why it has been so hard for South
\n America to duplicate the dynamic development of her northern sister.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"