Transcript of Speech by Vicente Rocafuerte

 The Plight Of Ecuador! 

Transcript of Speech by Vicente Rocafuerte

16 April 1827

   

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 The following is a transcript of a speech delivered by the Ecuadorian politician, Vincete Rocafuerte, at the town square of Guayaquil, titled ‘The Plight of Ecuador!’. The speech was delivered on 16 April 1827, in the context of the impending occupation of Guayaquil by the renegade Third Division (army unit), which had gone rogue against the Gran Colombian government beginning January 1827. In the speech, Rocafuerte addressed the myriad of problems that Ecuador faced and the grievances that he and the people had against the Gran Colombian government. By rallying the support of the people, Rocafuerte hoped to garner the people’s support for the rebellion. Moreover, as the Third Division had already encircled the city of Guayaquil and were marching into the city, Rocafuerte desperately wanted to persuade the townspeople to welcome their ‘liberators’, so as to avoid fighting in the streets and an all-out civil war in Gran Colombia.

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Señoras y señores! Loyal citizens of Guayaquil! I thank you all for gathering today under such uncertain circumstances. Four months ago, the news of events developing Peru has shaken the leadership of Gran Colombia. Our gracious leader, Simon Bolivar, has departed Peru to attend to urgent matters in Bogota. In his absence, opponents of Bolivar have seized control of the government. Amidst the chaos, the entirety of the Third Division of the army of Gran Colombia has gone rogue, and they have begun marching into Gran Colombia.

Four months ago, no one could have imagined that the rebellion would achieve any sort of success. And so our ‘wise’ leaders decided to do nothing about the situation. But the soldiers marched on, as they started to enter Ecuadorian territory. Four months have passed and there are no signs that the rebellion is slowing down. Earlier this month, the rebelling Third Division entered Sapotillo, Monticristi, and Loja. Today, they stand in the gates outside Guayaquil!

[the crowd gasps]

Fear not! The Third Division are highly disciplined, they do not raid or plunder, so long as we do not actively resist their entry into the city, I assure everyone that all will be fine. However, there are problems that are of greater cause for concern. Our overlords in Bogota are scrambling, only now do they realise the gravity of the situation. Their inability to react to this as almost half of Ecuador is occupied just goes to show their ignorance of Ecuadorian affairs!

How can Bogota preach liberty and freedom for all? Our woes have stood for almost a decade, ever since Gran Colombia has ‘liberated’ us! It should be obvious by now that the central government favours any policies that benefit New Grenada and Venezuela. They speak of unity and balanced development, whilst only caring for Venezuelan agricultural interests, [crowd boos] and not our hardworking industrial workers who are critical to our economy. Our pleas for Bogota to drop its suffocating tariff policies have fallen on deaf ears! I too, believe in the greatness of unity, but when will Ecuador reap the benefits of associating with Gran Colombia, especially when New Grenada and Venezuela seem to have prospered already?

During the war of independence not long ago, Ecuador financed three quarters of Gran Colombia’s liberation of Peru. We have funded Bolivar’s ‘adventurism’ that brought no benefit to Ecuador. Peru did not end up paying its indemnities, and the central government has up till today, refused to allocate a proportionate amount of funding to compensate for our blood, sweat, and tears. There is more! In 1824, when the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland generously offered Gran Colombia a loan, the central government has yet again failed to allocate Ecuador its fair share of funding!

[crowd boos the central government, insults yelled]

There is no hiding the fact that we face a manufacturing crisis. We know, Bogota knows that. Weeks ago, when our economists pleaded with ministers from New Grenada for them to offer us aid. Their advisors suggested that we adopt European manufacturing machinery to overcome our crisis. But how will we purchase said machinery without funding? They offer us mere words of sympathy, but they do not act. They think that they are so smart and capable in their ivory towers, with their patronising attitude. These words of mere sympathy, words without action, are exposed as fake and insincere. We demand that we are treated with respect, as equal partners within Gran Colombia, not some peripheral frontier state! Is that too much to ask for?

[crowd agrees, cheers]

Oh how can we forget the problems that the commonfolk face. Let us not forget the extreme price of salt, inflicted by the poor decisions of the Central Government. What was meant to extract wealth from rich merchants has drained the wealth from our decent folks! Let us also not forget the damning head tax imposed earlier this year. Bogota insists that we tax the women, that we tax the children, that we tax our elders. How could anyone think that this is a good idea? It is an insult to two hundred years of tradition and way of life that even the Spanish did not dare do. This is the plight of Ecuador!

After months of grassroot resistance, it is only fate that rebellion has broken out and has brought the Third Division to our doorstep. Just this morning, the military leadership of this city under Colonel Antonio Elizalde, has declared its support for the rebellion as well, followed by the expulsion from the department of General Parez, Intendant Mosquera and many other officers. The municipal government of Guayaquil also declares its support for the Third Division’s rebellion, for we also share their worries and grievances against the tyranny of Gran Colombia!

[crowd cheers in support of Rocafuerte]