![](\"http:\/\/cyber.law.harvard.edu\/blogs\/static\/dowbrigade\/mayornme.jpg\")
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\n a shiny jewel in a crap-encrusted crown, the city of Manta stands out
\n as one of the few spots in a country mired in underdevelopment which
\n is showing multiple and obvious signs of growth, development and progress. While
\n Ecuador in general, and particularly the agriculturally-dependent towns
\n and cities of the province of Manabi, are stuck in poverty and neglect,
\n and in some cases clearly backtracking and decaying into a morass of
\n crime, corruption and chaos, Manta keeps growing more robust and beautiful,
\n attracting investment, tourists and modern infrastructure.<\/p>\n
How are they doing it? The common wisdom is that these positive developments
\n are largely due to the efforts of Manta’s two-term mayor, Jorge Zambrano.
\n While there is no such thing in Ecuador as a completely honest politician
\n (does this rare breed exist anywhere in the world), Mayor Zambrano has
\n a well-deserved reputation for effective action and ingenuous escapes
\n from the traditional traps of graft, influence and cronyism.<\/p>\n
How did he manage it? The Dowbrigade has always believed in the lifelong
\n value of a good education. In the course of graduating from a public high
\n school in Manta, Zambrano was an exchange student for a year at – St. Patrick’s
\n High School, in Boston Mass! He later attended the Autonomous University
\n of Mexico City, where he graduated with a degree in Industrial Engineering.<\/p>\n
He continued his educational career here in Manta, where he was Director
\n of the School of Industrial Engineering (1985-86) and Dean of the Faculty
\n of Engineering (1986-88) at the Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manta. He
\n remained on the faculty of the ULEAM until 1996, when he was first elected
\n Mayor. Re-elected in 2000, he has announced his intention, and is a virtual
\n shoo-in, for a third term later this year.<\/p>\n
Mayor Zambrano’s entered the convoluted and contentious world of politics almost by chance. Shortly after graduating from college he took over his father’s construction supply business, selling concrete, steel and other supplies to builders and construction engineers. Like many ordinary citizens, he was frustrated and inconvienced by the poor state of the local roads here in Manta, full of potholes and cracks which constantly damaged cars and trucks. However, unlike the majority who were limited to carping and complaining, he decided to do something about the problem. Quietly and without expecting any reward, he began using some of the supplies from his store to fill in holes and make much-needed repairs to important urban roads. Soon several of the major political parties had approached him to suggest that he run for office. Reluctant at first, he eventually gave in and affiliated with the Social Christian party, where he remains something of an outsider for his stubborn independence from the national headquarters in Guayaquil.<\/p>\n
Beyond his academic and business background, Jorge Zambrano has been an effictive mayor because he understands the grain
\n of truth behind the old apocryphal story we first heard back in graduate
\n school. Two engineers from humble backgrounds, one from the U.S, and one
\n from Ecuador (or Peru, or Brazil, or practically any third-world country)
\n met
\n at the
\n Graduate
\n School
\n of Engineering at the University of Ohio (or Massachusetts, or North Dakota,
\n or Georgia). They became fast friends. Several years after their mutual
\n graduation the Ecuadorian engineer came north on vacation and stopped in
\n to visit his American friend, who was now living in a beautiful ranch house
\n along a river, with a swimming pool in the backyard and a Lexus in the the
\n driveway.<\/p>\n
"How did you get all of this in just a few years," the Latin engineer
\n asked his American friend.<\/p>\n
The gringo pulled back the curtains covering the huge picture window in
\n his living room and revealing a soaring suspension bridge crossing the river
\n that ran behind his property.<\/p>\n
"See that bridge?" he asked his slack jawed Ecuadorian friend, "40% of
\n the total budget for that bridge ended up right here." And he patted the
\n pocket of his designer jeans holding his wallet.<\/p>\n
A couple of years later the American engineer took a vacation, and flew
\n south to visit his Latin Classmate. When he found the address his friend
\n has sent, he discovered it was a gigantic mansion on the outskirts of Quito,
\n complete with an olympic pool, heli-pad, tennis court and separate guest
\n house. Parked in the driveway were a BMW, a Hummer and two Porsches.<\/p>\n
After greeting his friend and congratulating him on his obvious success,
\n the American engineer could not refrain from asking, "How did you manage
\n to get all of this in such a short time?"<\/p>\n
"Easy!" replied his friend, pulling back the drapes from HIS picture window,
\n "See that hydro-electric dam?"<\/p>\n
The American stared in vain at a wild panorama of rushing river, cascading
\n waterfalls and undeveloped nature. There was not a road or construction
\n in sight.<\/p>\n
"Uh, no, actually…." he replied.<\/p>\n
"Well," confided the Ecuadorian, smiling and patting his pocket, "100%
\n of the budget of that project ended up right here!"<\/p>\n
The lesson, obviously, is that while corruption may be universal, it comes
\n in different degrees. While it is tempting to conclude that the consistent
\n lack of progress in the third world is due to endemic corruption, it may
\n be that their corruption is just cruder, more visible and closer to the surface
\n here than in the sophisticated power centers of the rich countries. When
\n mid-level military officials, legislators and police chiefs with public salaries
\n under
\n 100K are ensconced in multi-million dollar fiefdoms which rival the Kennedy
\n compound in Hyannisport, it is hard to convince the man in the street to
\n pay his taxes.<\/p>\n
But the occasional success of hard-working regular-guy politicians like
\n our tennis buddy Jorge Zambrano prove that intelligence and relative honesty
\n can still rise above self-interest and crass commercialism. If he manages
\n to resist the insidious interests pushing him to try for national prominence
\n Manta will be the beneficiary, and should continue to develop. If
\n not, Ecuador may benefit, if Zambrano doesn’t lose his soul, or his life,
\n in the process.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Like a shiny jewel in a crap-encrusted crown, the city of Manta stands out as one of the few spots in a country mired in underdevelopment which is showing multiple and obvious signs of growth, development and progress. While Ecuador … Continue reading