Ecuador: parents return to U.S., son still missing, believed to have been kidnapped

via Nicholas Crowder: http://latinamericacurrentevents.com/ecuador-parents-return-to-u-s-son-still-missing-believed-to-have-been-kidnapped/29361/

Posted on August 28, 2013 • Filed under: Crime, Ecuador, TRAVEL

newsok.com reported that August Reiger went missing June 16 while hiking with his family in Ecuador. His parents have returned home to Oklahoma City without knowing what has happened to him. Chris and Randa Reiger came home from Ecuador without their son, August.

August Reiger PROVIDED

More than two months after the 18-year-old valedictorian went missing while on vacation, his parents made the agonizing decision to return to Oklahoma City without knowing their son’s fate, said Christi Reiger, August’s aunt. “I’m sure it’s the hardest thing they’ve ever had to do in their lives,” Christi Reiger said. “It’s hard to imagine leaving your child somewhere not knowing if they are safe.” Read Article: http://newsok.com/missing-oklahoma-city-valedictorians-parents-return-from-ecuador-without-their-son/article/3876613

Security Message for U.S. Citizens – U.S. Embassy Quito-Potential Protests in Quito- August 27, 2013

Security Message for U.S. Citizens – U.S. Embassy Quito-Potential Protests in Quito- August 27, 2013

The U.S. Embassy in Quito advises U.S. citizens visiting or living in Ecuador that protests may occur in Quito or other locales on August 27.  Some news sources have reported that indigenous groups in Ecuador are calling for protests on August 27.

 Though there are varying accounts regarding the time, location and magnitude of the protest, a number of reports cite Quito’s Arbolito Park and the Presidential Palace as potential zones for protest activity, and a march between the two locations is possible.
 While there are no specific threats to safety and security, public protests always carry a risk for conflict.  The U.S. Embassy advises U.S. citizens to exercise caution and to avoid large gatherings or demonstrations.

Americans living or traveling in Ecuador are encouraged to enroll with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate in order to obtain updated information on travel and security within Ecuador through the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.
U.S. citizens should consult the Country Specific Information for Ecuador and the latest Travel Alerts and Warnings and Worldwide Caution at the Department's website. Updated information on travel and security in Ecuador may also be obtained from the Department of State by calling 1-888-407-4747 within the United States or by calling 1-202-501-4444 outside the United States.

The U.S. Embassy in Quito is located at Avigiras E12-170 y Eloy Alfaro. The telephone number for American Citizen Service (ACS) inquiries is (011 593-2) 398-5000.   Within the same city use the last seven digits. Add the city code for inter-city telephone calls.        

      Public call-in hours are Monday through Thursday 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. and Friday 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
·          For after-hours emergencies, contact the Embassy at (011 593-2) 398-5200.       

      Appointments for ACS are available through our website.

The U.S. Consulate General in Guayaquil is located at the corner of Avenida 9 de Octubre and Garcia Moreno (near the Hotel Oro Verde). The telephone number for ACS inquiries is (011-593-4) 232-3570 during business hours, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or 232-1152 for after-hours emergencies.

You may also follow the activities of the U.S. Embassy in Ecuador through the Embassy website, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. http://ecuador.usembassy.gov/

ECUADOR NEWS MAGAZINE: Just 6 hours to start a company in Ecuador

ECUADOR NEWS MAGAZINE: Just 6 hours to start a company in Ecuador: Ecuador news magazine - Quito, August 26 (Andes).- Currently, to set up a company in Ecuador takes between 35 and 55 days, unlike other countries in the region such as Uruguay and Chile in which a company can be set up in a week.

This gap is due to the amount of bureaucratic procedures to be completed. President Rafael Correa said that he is in a fight against procedures in which they “make up” obstacles. “We are going to simplify things, change the view”, he said.

Among 174 countries, Ecuador is in the 169th position in terms of obstacles to set up a company. Nearly 30% of GDP per capita is used in legal fees, i.e. USD $1,600. Likewise, a minimum capital is required to set up a company.

There are 13 steps to set up a company. Besides, the cost for the time spent in these procedures amounts to USD $67 million per year. “It’s not only the payment of rates, fees, legal fees, but also the cost to time wasted”, said the President.

With the Government’s proposal, the procedures to set up a company will be reduced to the point that all may be completed in six hours and on-line. “The thirteen (13) steps will be reduced to one in a single stop. The USD$ 800 minimum capital requirement will be brought down to USD $0”, he said.


 

Colombia Nationwide Strike Against 'Free Trade,' Privatization, Poverty

Published on Sunday, August 25, 2013 by Common Dreams

Colombia Nationwide Strike Against 'Free Trade,' Privatization, Poverty

Ignored by English-language media, rural uprisings spread across industries as hundreds of thousands protest US-backed govt

- Sarah Lazare, staff writer

Protests in Sincelejo (Photo: Marcha Patriotica)A nationwide strike in Colombia—which started as a rural peasant uprising and spread to miners, teachers, medical professionals, truckers, and students—reached its 7th day Sunday as at least 200,000 people blocked roads and launched protests against a U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement and devastating policies of poverty and privatization pushed by US-backed right-wing President Juan Manuel Santos......

...
Meanwhile, the Colombian government is handing out sweetheart deals to international mining companies while creating bans and roadblocks for Colombian miners. Likewise, the government is giving multinational food corporations access to land earmarked for poor Colombians. Healthcare workers are fighting a broad range of reforms aimed at gutting and privatizing Colombia's healthcare system. Truckers are demanding an end to low wages and high gas prices.
"This is the third or fourth large-scale non-military rural uprising this year," Martin told Common Dreams.
Colombian workers organizing to improve their lives are met with an onslaught of state violence: Colombia is the deadliest country in the world for union activists, according to the AFL-CIO Solidarity Center, and 37 activists were murdered in Colombia in the 1st half of 2013 alone, leading news weekly Semana reports.
Santos, who says he refuses to negotiate while the strikes are taking place, has so far been unsuccessful in his efforts to quell the swelling protests that are paralyzing much of the country, particularly in rural areas.
"[W]e just want solutions to our problems,” Javier Correa Velez, the head of a coffee-growers association called Dignidad Cafetera, told the Miami Herald. “The strike is simply a symptom of an illness that the entire agriculture sector is suffering from.”
(Photo: Twitter/@zonacero)https://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/08/25?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
JourneymanJack Comments: This could make for an uptick in Refugees & Immigration from COL to EC....
.

Why Are So Many People Choosing To Leave The United States Permanently?

The Economic Collapse By Michael Snyder, on August 11th, 2013- 

Have things gotten so bad that it is time to leave the United States for good?  That is a question that a lot of Americans are dealing with these days, and an increasing number of them are choosing to leave the country of their birth permanently.  Some are doing it for tax reasons, some are doing it because they believe the future is brighter elsewhere, and others are doing it because they are very distressed about the direction that America is heading and they don't see any hope for a turnaround any time soon...

....Yes, life in America is definitely going to be extremely challenging in the years ahead, but the grass is not always greener on the other side of the planet either.
There are a whole host of things to consider before you make a permanent move to another country.  The following is an extended excerpt from one of my previous articles...
*****
The following are 10 questions to ask yourself before you decide to move to another country...
Do You Speak The Language?  If Not, How Will You Function?
If you do not speak the language of the country that you are moving to, that can create a huge problem.  Just going to the store and buying some food will become a challenge.  Every interaction that you have with anyone in that society will be strained, and your ability to integrate into the culture around you will be greatly limited.
How Will You Make A Living?
Unless you are independently wealthy, you will need to make money.  In a foreign nation, it may be very difficult for you to find a job - especially one that pays as much as you are accustomed to making in the United States.
Will You Be Okay Without Your Family And Friends?
Being thousands of miles away from all of your family and friends can be extremely difficult.  Will you be okay without them?  And it can be difficult to survive in a foreign culture without any kind of a support system.  Sometimes the people that most successfully move out of the country are those that do it as part of a larger group.
Have You Factored In Weather Patterns And Geological Instability?
As the globe becomes increasingly unstable, weather patterns and natural disasters are going to become a bigger factor in deciding where to live.  For example, right now India is suffering through the worst drought that it has experienced in nearly 50 years.  It would be very difficult to thrive in the middle of such an environment.
Many of those that are encouraging people to "escape from America" are pointing to Chile as an ideal place to relocate to.  But there are thousands of significant earthquakes in Chile each year, and the entire nation lies directly along the "Ring of Fire" which is becoming increasingly unstable.  That is something to keep in mind.
What Will You Do For Medical Care?
If you or someone in your family had a serious medical problem in the United States, you would know what to do.  Yes, our health care system is incredibly messed up, but at least you would know that you could get the care that you needed if an emergency arose.  Would the same be true in a foreign nation?
Are You Moving Into A High Crime Area?
Yes, crime is definitely on the rise in the United States.  But in other areas where many preppers are moving to, crime is even worse.  Mexico and certain areas of Central America are two examples of this.  And in many foreign nations, the police are far more corrupt than they generally are in the United States.
In addition, many other nations have far stricter gun laws than the United States does, so your ability to defend your family may be greatly restricted.
So will your family truly be safe in the nation that you plan to take them to?
Are You Prepared For "Culture Shock"?
Moving to another country can be like moving to a different planet.  After all, they don't call it "culture shock" for nothing.
If you do move to another country, you may quickly find that thousands of little things that you once took for granted in the U.S. are now very different.
And there is a very good chance that many of the "amenities" that you are accustomed to in the U.S. will not be available in a foreign nation and that your standard of living will go down.
So if you are thinking of moving somewhere else, you may want to visit first just to get an idea of what life would be like if you made the move.
What Freedoms and Liberties Will You Lose By Moving?
Yes, our liberties and our freedoms are being rapidly eroded in the United States.  But in many other nations around the world things are much worse.  You may find that there is no such thing as "freedom of speech" or "freedom of religion" in the country that you have decided to move to.
Is There A Possibility That The Country You Plan To Escape To Could Be Involved In A War At Some Point?
We are moving into a time of great geopolitical instability.  If you move right into the middle of a future war zone, you might really regret it.  If you do plan to move, try to find a country that is likely to avoid war for the foreseeable future.
When The Global Economy Collapses, Will You And Your Family Be Okay For Food?
What good will it be to leave the United States if you and your family run out of food?
Today, we are on the verge of a major global food crisis.  Global food reserves are at their lowest level in nearly 40 years, and shifting global weather patterns are certainly not helping things.
And the global elite are rapidly getting more control over the global food supply.  Today, between 75 and 90 percent of all international trade in grain is controlled by just four gigantic multinational food corporations.
*****
Leaving the United States permanently and setting up a new life in another country can be done, but it isn't for the faint of heart.  It takes planning, preparation and lots of hard work.
However, there are lots of people that have done it successfully, including quite a number of people that I know personally.
In the end, you have got to make the decision that is right for you and your family.  Don't let anyone else tell you what to do.
For many, staying in the United States and preparing for the tough years that are coming is the best choice.  For others, getting out of the United States and heading for greener pastures is the right choice. What about you? What is your choice? http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/why-are-so-many-people-choosing-to-leave-the-united-states-permanently

 

“long form” applicants for US passports 12 AUG 2013

After a year-long “review,” the White House on August 12, 2013, approved the State Department’s proposed new “long form” questionnaires for some (unspecified) subset of applicants for US passports.

In approving these forms, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) ignored overwhelming public outrage at these questionnaires.
The most reasonable inference is that the new forms are designed to be impossible to complete, so as to provide a pretext to deny you a passport if the State Department doesn’t like your looks (or your opinions, or whatever)...read more: http://www.consumertraveler.com/today/white-house-approves-new-long-forms-for-some-passport-applicants/

White House approves new “long forms” for some passport applicants

by Edward Hasbrouck on August 22, 2013

After a year-long “review,” the White House on August 12, 2013, approved the State Department’s proposed new “long form” questionnaires for some (unspecified) subset of applicants for US passports.
In approving these forms, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) ignored overwhelming public outrage at these questionnaires.

The forms include such questions as:

• List all your parent(s) residences one year before your birth.
• Parent(s) place of employment at the time of your birth (Dates of employment, Name of employer, Address of employer).
• Did your mother receive medical care while pregnant with you and/or up to one year after your birth? (Name of hospital or other facility, Address, Name of Doctor, Approximate dates of appointments).
• Please provide the names (as well as address and phone number, if available) of persons present at your birth such as medical personnel, family members, etc.
• Please list any schools, day care centers, or developmental programs you attended from birth to age 18 in or outside of the United States.
• Please list all of your permanent residences inside and outside of the United States starting with your birth until age 18.

- See more at: http://www.consumertraveler.com/today/white-house-approves-new-long-forms-for-some-passport-applicants/#sthash.5660Njdg.dpuf

White House approves new “long forms” for some passport applicants

by Edward Hasbrouck on August 22, 2013

After a year-long “review,” the White House on August 12, 2013, approved the State Department’s proposed new “long form” questionnaires for some (unspecified) subset of applicants for US passports.
In approving these forms, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) ignored overwhelming public outrage at these questionnaires.

The forms include such questions as:

• List all your parent(s) residences one year before your birth.
• Parent(s) place of employment at the time of your birth (Dates of employment, Name of employer, Address of employer).
• Did your mother receive medical care while pregnant with you and/or up to one year after your birth? (Name of hospital or other facility, Address, Name of Doctor, Approximate dates of appointments).
• Please provide the names (as well as address and phone number, if available) of persons present at your birth such as medical personnel, family members, etc.
• Please list any schools, day care centers, or developmental programs you attended from birth to age 18 in or outside of the United States.
• Please list all of your permanent residences inside and outside of the United States starting with your birth until age 18.

- See more at: http://www.consumertraveler.com/today/white-house-approves-new-long-forms-for-some-passport-applicants/#sthash.5660Njdg.dpuf

Gringo Tree- Saturday August 24, 2013- Is Correa Turning Right?

Rafael Correa's politics baffle the pundits; elected as a socialist, many see a recent sharp turn to the right

Posted By Admin | Published: August 24, 2013 00:36

Although he claims to be a socialist, Ecuador president Rafael Correa increasingly defies the standard political labels. Many of his opponents claim his tendencies in recent months have been decidedly to the right.

Loyalists of President Rafael Correa’s “Citizens’ Revolution” have had to face some jarring decisions since he took office for a third time on May 24. In June, a phone call from Joe Biden, America’s vice-president, sufficed for him to leave Edward Snowden, an ex-CIA whistleblower, at a Moscow airport instead of offering asylum. He has switched from opposing to advocating free-trade talks with the European Union. His government has made it harder for people to obtain asylum. That has irked human-rights groups, which have also blasted his Putinesque decision to vet non-governmental organizations....read more: http://www.cuencahighlife.com/post/2013/08/24/Rafael-Correas-politics-baffle-the-pundits3b-widely-seen-as-a-socialist-many-see-a-sharp-turn-to-the-right.aspx