Evan Ellis - Fernando Villavicencio and the Self-Destructive Collaboration between China and Populist Regimes
Dear Colleague,
With this email, I would like to share with you my new article in Spanish and English, remembering the legacy of Ecuadoran anti-Corruption crusader and Presidential Candidate Fernando Villavicencio, brutally assassinated August 9th in Quito.
This work looks at the legacy of the corruption that he fought against, much of which arose from populist former Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa’s isolation of the country from Western partners, instead embracing PRC and its companies to fund and work his development projects in non-transparent ways that opened the door for a web of corruption and disastrous project results.
I argue that these Correa projects and their corruption that Fernando Villavicencio fought against stands as a cautionary of the broader risks in an economically imperiled Latin America skeptical of democracy, as populists embrace predatory Chinese business partners, open to confer “personal” benefits, in non-transparent ways.
This work also examines the implications of Fernando Villavicencio’s assassination for Ecuador’s August 20 Presidential election, and for the future of the region.
The English-language article is available here for download:
It is also available through the website of Global Americans, which published it:
https://theglobalamericans.org/2023/08/fernando-villavicencio-and-the-self-destructive-collaboration-between-china-and-populist-regimes/
The Spanish-language article is available here for download:
It is also available through the website of InfoBAE, which published it:
https://www.infobae.com/america/opinion/2023/08/12/fernando-villavicencio-y-la-colaboracion-autodestructiva-entre-china-y-los-regimenes-populistas/
Podcast and Radio Shows:
I would also like to share with you the links to my latest programs and podcasts.
These include an extended interview on CNN en Espanol on the challenges of the PRC in Latin America and implications for the US:
China's Influence in Latin America (en Espanol). August 9: https://www.ntn24.com/noticias-politica/cuan-profunda-es-actualmente-la-influencia-china-en-america-latina-436616
They also include my latest programs on the John Batchelor Show, in his special ongoing series on Latin America, The New World Report. You may find these weekly podcasts, which we have been doing regularly for well over a year now, as a useful analysis of key events in the region. The full list is available on my website,
https://www.revanellis.com
The latest episodes are:
Assassination of Fernando Villavicencio in Ecuador. August 10: https://audioboom.com/posts/8348346-preview-assassination-in-quito-newworldreport-latin-american-research-professor-evan-ellis-u
Amazon Environmental Conference Part 1. August 9: https://audioboom.com/posts/8347733-1-2-newworldreport-eight-amazon-nations-at-belem-what-is-to-be-done-the-amazon-at-belem-lat
Amazon Environmental Conference, Part 2. August 9: https://audioboom.com/posts/8347734-2-2-newworldreport-eight-amazon-nations-at-belem-what-is-to-be-done-the-amazon-at-belem-lat
Argentina. August 9: https://audioboom.com/posts/8347736-newworldreport-argentina-devaluation-the-amazon-at-belem-latin-american-research-professor-eva
Colombia-Panama Border. August 9: https://audioboom.com/posts/8347737-newworldreport-the-colombia-panama-border-latin-american-research-professor-evan-ellis-u-s-a
Website for all Publications:
As always, at my professional website you can access the present, and all of my past publications, as well as select webinars and podcasts:
https://revanellis.com/
Book on China-Latin America:
My latest book, China Engages Latin America: Distorting Development and Democracy, is available through my publisher Palgrave-Macmillan, at:
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-96049-0
Please feel free to share this post with a friend or colleague. If you would like to be included in my (always free) distribution list, I welcome the opportunity to include you:
Thank you, as always, for your interest in my work.
Respectfully,
R. Evan Ellis, PhD
Latin America Research Professor
U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute
@REvanEllis
Website: https://revanellis.com