ECUADOR: Oswaldo Guayasamin and Fidel Castro

In 1944 I visited Quito. The cultural attaché at the US Embassy took me to see an unknown Indian painter living in an attic. My guess is that Nelson Rockefeller's Coordinator's Office was pushing him. Out of pity I bought a small painting. It was Oswaldo Guayasamín, now viewed as the Diego Rivera of Ecuador. Born in 1919, he became world famous about 1970. In 1976 he founded a workshop to train young artists. It then became a foundation with branches in several cities of Ecuador. He died in 1999. A building in Quito has been dedicated to him. Since it is called La Capilla, The Chapel, my guess is that it is in an old church.

The inauguration by invitation was held yesterday, Friday, November 29, The public opening is today. The significant thing is that Fidel Castro came to Quito for the opening ceremony. This was clearly a pretext. Presidential elections had just been held in Ecuador, and a leftist officer who had staged a revolt (reported by us) had defeated the country's wealthiest man, a banana planter.The pattern (unsuccessful revolt followed by electoral victory) was similar to that of Hugo Chavez of Venezuela.The new president, who has Indian backing, invited Castro to Quito for political reasons. Castro has close relations with Chavez,.who is hanging on despite the US-backed opposition. It is safe to say that the US is not happy with the result of the Ecuadorian elections. Castro also enjoys good relations with Lula, the new president of Brazil. There is serious rioting in Peru against the pro-US government of Alejandro Toledo. Economic chaos prevails in Argentina. This South American mixture is explosive.

Ronald Hilton - 11/30/02