My Spanish is at what I can only describe as survival level, meaning that if stranded I might (note: might) be able to talk my way home again. Though meeting my host family is what I am most excited for, I do have a few concerns. If I somehow manage not to offend my host family with my butchered Spanish, I am—if only mildly—concerned about offending them with an assumption of common ideals and perspectives on current events. To avoid awkward dinners resulting from questions about controversial subjects, I chose to research a few topics that might lead conversation to quickly fade to the sound of chewing.
Topic one: oil. Ecuador’s economy took a major hit with the drop in oil prices over the past year. This economic reliance on oil has led to a hindering of economic growth in what is estimated to be one of Latin America’s fastest growing economies. President Rafael Correa has predicted a fifty-percent decline in oil prices over the next year, which will effect both the government and a large portion of the working population.
Topic two: protesting. According to Human Rights Watch, excessive use of force against protestors is an increasing issue. There have been shutdowns on human rights organizations, forceful endings on peaceful protests, detention of protestors and abuse upon detention. The most recent protests have been linked to President Correa’s decision to run for another term in 2016.
Topic three: the 2016 presidential election. As Correa attempts to change the constitutional limit on the length of the number of terms a single president may serve, many Ecuadoreans have spoken out against his regime. This resistance has (not surprisingly) faced pushback from Correa’s cabinet specifically on freedoms of speech and press. Correa’s government has increased monitoring of both news coverage and social media posts, publically condemning offenders.
Topic four: abortion. While the government is facing issues economically and with public opinion, abortion is currently one of the hottest judicial issues. Abortion is currently criminalized except in cases that involve health concerns with the mother that cannot be alleviated by other means. According to Human Rights Watch the United Nations has released recommendations for new abortion policy in Ecuador in response to the rate of female injury resulting from women with unwanted pregnancies seeking unsafe means of terminating.
So, in order to avoid uncomfortable dinners or potentially being seized by the government for conspiracy, I will steer clear of the words “presidential” and “election”.