Democracy Prevails in Ecuador.

• Position: After coup d'etat - Brief Article

FOLLOWING THE political turmoil in Ecuador earlier this year, Secretary General Cesar Gaviria traveled there to meet with President Gustavo Noboa and to explore how the Organization might support the country's democratic development.

"There is great concern, all across the Americas, over the recent events in Ecuador," Gaviria told reporters in Quito during a visit in February. Gaviria said the lack of political stability has made it difficult for elected officials to make the decisions that will help the country overcome its economic crisis. Unless Ecuador takes steps to strengthen its democratic institutions, he said, it risks remaining cut off from international financial markets.

Besides meeting with Noboa, Gaviria talked to government ministers, top military officials, congressional representatives, and indigenous leaders. He also held a private meeting with former president Jamil Mahuad.

The events that had forced Mahuad to leave office in January prompted the OAS to react swiftly. On the evening of January 21, as the political crisis was unfolding in Quito, the OAS Permanent Council held an emergency special session in...