Part
5 - Who Wins?
Capital,
whether national or transnational, stands to win. Ecuador’s
economic elites, who have mostly been satisfied with importing goods
will win if an FTA is signed with the U.S. because they will avoid
paying import taxes. Investors who will pay no income tax will win.
Many
more will lose.
Pence’s
announcement that “the U.S. will also work with Ecuador to
confront the menace of drug trafficking and criminal organizations”
is no good news for the people who live in Ecuador’s northern
border. If U.S. cooperation with Colombia and Mexico are any
indication, then these areas will likely see an increase in state and
non-state violence.
Furthermore,
as the state’s budget shrinks, Ecuadoreans will lose access to free
public education and health. Many have already lost access to social
programs like the human development bonus, and the Ministry of Social
and Economic Inclusion has reported a cutback of US$10 million in
their budget.
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