Just arrived to Cuenca: CAMERAS in the street...!!??

Anyone please feel free to correct me if am wrong, but think Correa is more politically savvy, than anti-american per se. China is a big player in the world, and is only a matter of time until they pass the U.S. as the biggest player in the world, and Russia is becoming a serious player. That is who the current administration is aligning themselves with. If it's a good, or bad thing have no idea. Time will tell how it works out.

Cameras have become a way of life with our own govt using the patriotic act as it's weapon of choice to read our emails, listen to our calls and recently opening our mail!!.
Been to Europe lately?Just back today after 2 weeks and they have easily doubled the eyes from our last visit 4 years  ago./
So, nothing but the norm for Ecuador TO ACT similarly or monkey see monkey do.
Do not forget George Orwell and a number of other books and documents all pointing at government spying on each other and their own people. Most were written pre 1950 to early 1960 with frightening exactness on government controls.
Find the camera blind spots, they're there.

Hey guys,

Better be careful with your political commentary ...

If your name was ElGringoBueno you'd already be censored by the blog monitor ...

How dare you have an opinion?

   Carlos   "ElGringoBueno"

PS  Just jerking yer gherkin ...

Well, cameras is use for "security". I think is not in the same way as in the States.

In Ecuador they use them for "stop" the robbers, not for see what people is doing or talking about.

Rigth now Im in Puerto Lopez, Manabi A fisherman town, no cameras, no microphones, even they dont have signal ligths! There is only one in town!

People looks very relax, no one rushing for nothing, they leave their doors open or the store is "home alone", people dont yail, they smile, they say good morning to everybody.

Kind I like it!

Everything is relax:)

Dont worry about that cameras. Mr President is anti any law that is not fair. Just for example he does not like the free trade comerce because he says what America wants is to sell us all kind of stuff but does not wants to buy our stuff.

Wich I think is truth..

I have found a great deal of information on Raphael Correa OUTSIDE of this blog.

Imagine that!

Although the folks on this blog have a right to their opinions, I don't perceive them as experts or in many cases, very well informed.

I will say that I think MariaPiaBlog is likely right on with respect to the reason for all of the cameras.

Ecuador is trying to attract retirees and retirees are understandably quite concerned about safety (as you can tell from this blog), so installing the cameras makes sense whether or not it is the best alternative.

Back in the US there is another problem, witness all of the mass shootings and the Boston Marathon incident.  As America becomes more and more of a target for terror, steps are taken to at least be able to find perpetrators if not stop them before they reek their havoc.

   Carlos   "ElGringoBueno" 

PS  I'm assuming you've nothing to hide ...

PPS  I don't equate tax vigilance with tyranny.  If the IRS was as vigilant as it should be, those of us who DO pay our taxes would pay substantially less.  Without vigilance it becomes a voluntary system and we can see up here how well that works out for the "little people" ...

Is it really any different than thousands of people walking down the street equipped with cell phones?  Anything even looks suspicious and someone is bound to be taping it for YouTube.  If the government doesn't do it, someone else will!

GringoBueno wrote:

Ecuador is trying to attract retirees and retirees are understandably quite concerned about safety (as you can tell from this blog), so installing the cameras makes sense whether or not it is the best alternative.

Public video cameras do not keep anyone 'safe' and they do not stop crime.

Kindly explain how a video camera mounted on a utility pole stops crime. It doesn't, it just records it.

Its just records it. Have you seem the police driving around using the ligth sirenes and they are not after no one? Have you seem the transit police standing somewhere and some cars has not head ligths or turning signal?
Is te same, they use it like deterrent element. they does not want to stop any one, so they trick people.
In Cuenca, its necesary to become a Cuencano if you want to understand and be flexible, join the system, etc.

Gardener1,

Instead ...

I'll "kindly explain" that if you read [re-read?] my entire post you'll note that I mentioned that it doesn't stop crime, but can help in investigating and prosecuting crime.

Having said that, you might wish to look up the word "deterrent" in a dictionary ...

   Carlos  "ELGringoBueno" 

PS  You're welcome ...